CCTV, Footage will help in the identification of the involved
New Delhi: Ahead of the hostel controversy in JNU, the Delhi Police registered separate FIRs based on complaints received by two rival student groups in connection with a clash on the JNU campus over non-vegetarian food being served in a hostel mess and alleged disruption of Ram Navami puja.
The FIRs were lodged after the two groups clashed at the Jawaharlal Nehru University's Kaveri Hostel allegedly over the issue.
According to the Police, said Monday, two FIRs have been registered on the complaints received from both groups and they have received 20 medico-legal cases so far from the students injured in the violence.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Manoj C said that they received a complaint early Monday morning from a group of students who are members of JNUSU, SFI, DSF and AISA against unknown ABVP students.
"Accordingly, we have a registered an FIR under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).
Further investigation is on to collect factual or scientific evidence and identify the culprits," he said.
The complaint stated, "At 3.45 pm on 10th April, the ABVP students assaulted the meat vendor who brought chicken for dinner at Kaveri hostel and when two members of the mess committee tried to intervene, then they were assaulted as well.
"Around 7:30 pm, after prolonged arguments and vicious sloganeering, these goons started assaulting students again, first with their fists and kicks and then with various objects including rocks, bricks, flower pots, rods and tube lights. Not a single student raised their hand to counter this violence, even when many were being injured...Even the cyclops security guards were assaulted by these goons, of which two received serious injuries," it said.
Moreover, the complaint informs that from 4 pm onwards, students started informing the police about the violence. Police, however, said they received the first PCR call around 8.15 pm.
The complainants also accused the police of not taking any action even when several women students were "given death threats and abused in sexual terms in front of police personnel".The police said that another FIR was registered on the complaint received Monday afternoon from a group of students who are members of ABVP against unknown JNUSU, SFI, and DSF students.
"Based on the complaint, we have registered an FIR under sections 323, 341, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code," the DCP said, adding that further investigation is on to collect factual and scientific evidence and identify the culprits.
Statements of ten students have been recorded while those of other students who were either victims or witnesses to the violence will be taken as per the procedure for further investigation, he said.
All the CCTV footage and purported videos made by students and others will also be scanned and analysed to ascertain the identity of those involved, police said, adding that the majority of complaints were received from ABVP.
Several purported videos of the violence surfaced on social media, with one of them showing a student, Akhtarista Ansari, bleeding from the head.
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