Najeeb's case: HC orders Delhi Police to record statements of witnesses

On Friday, the Delhi High Court asked Delhi Police to record the statement of witnesses present at the time of an altercation between JNU student Najeeb Ahmed and nine students of ABVP six months ago, about the 'nature of threat' given to him.

A division bench of Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Deepa Sharma questioned the Delhi Police for not recording the statements of the witnesses after Najeeb went missing in October last year soon after the altercation.

"What is the nature of the threat? What words were used for threatening?", asked the bench, directing the police to record statements of people present during the altercation.

The police also submitted two sealed cover analysis reports of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Hyderabad, regarding the contents of Ahmed's laptop and mobile phone and of the nine students' mobile phones.

According to the police, the movement of the mobile phones of the nine alleged students reveals nothing. Also, their phones were in the hostels during the time of Ahmed's disappearance, stated the report. The 27-year-old, first-year M.Sc student, Najeeb Ahmed had slapped one of the nine students during an altercation in the hostel and in return they had allegedly threatened him.

Earlier, the bench had stated that the nine accused students cannot be forced to undergo a polygraph test. "They should agree but if they want to live with the needle of suspicion what can be done," said the bench and posted the matter for May 12.