HM orders SIT to trace missing JNU student after campus siege

The agitating students, who have been accusing the JNU administration of not doing enough to trace missing student Najeeb Ahmed, said they have decided to change their mode of protest and will no longer confine VC M Jagadesh Kumar and other officials of the university.

Earlier, they allowed the VC and a section of the officials to go out of the administrative building to attend a scheduled meeting of the Academic Council (AC) after not allowing them to move from the office for over 20 hours. The AC meeting was on till late evening. As the students’ protest over the missing student entered the sixth day, the Home Minister directed the Delhi Police to set up a special team to trace Najeeb who went missing on Saturday following a brawl with a group of ABVP supporters in a JNU hostel.

Singh called up the Commissioner of Delhi Police and gave the instruction to set up the special team.

The students did not allow the VC and around 12 other officials to come out of the administrative building since yesterday afternoon as part of their protest though mediapersons were allowed to go inside it.

JNU teachers association, which have been supportive of the students on most of the issues, criticised the confinement of the VC and others. The VC had this morning warned the students of strict action over the “illegal confinement”.

Coming down heavily on protesting students, the VC said several rounds of talks were held to convince the students about sincerity of the university authority to locate Najeeb but they were continuing with their “illegal” activities”.

“This is a university run in a democratic manner. We value debate and discussion. That’s why we had several rounds of discussions with the students to convince them that the university is sincerely working to locate Najeeb Ahmed. “We have tried every possible means to convince the students that we are trying our best to locate Najeeb.

However, they are not relenting and resorting to this kind of illegal means,” Kumar said hours before he was allowed to go.

He said, “We cannot be coerced by these illegal means.

The university has to be run in a proper manner and the academic activities should not suffer. We again appeal to the students not to resort to this kind of illegal activities which will affect the university.” .