Police yesterday reached the sprawling Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in search of a student who went missing over two months ago.
Crime Branch personnel searched different parts of the campus with sniffer dogs in a desperate bid to find out what happened to Najeeb, whose disappearance had led to unending protests in the university.
A police officer said Najeeb’s hostel, classrooms, rooftops and other deserted places were scanned.
“A search operation is on in various parts of the JNU campus to get clues which can help police locate Najeeb,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Ravindra Yadav said.
The search began as police have been unable to get any trace of Najeeb, who went missing on October 15 following a scuffle the previous night with members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarti Parishad (ABVP). The ABVP has denied any involvement in Najeeb’s disappearance.
Police have raised the reward for providing information that could help locate Najeeb from Rs500,000 to Rs1mn.
The Delhi High Court has directed the police to scan the entire JNU campus.
The court said the police were also free to search Jamia Millia Islamia where Najeeb was reportedly dropped by an auto-rickshaw driver after he left the JNU campus.
However, terming the Delhi police a puppet of the central government, the JNU Students Union (JNUSU) denounced the campus search as absurd, and their methodology clueless.
“After 65 days of Najeeb’s disappearance, this is the state of affairs. In an utter sense of mockery of justice earlier, the police worked like a puppet of the government and now to save their face in front of the court, they are doing absurd exercises with clueless methodology,” JNUSU president Mohit Pandey said in a statement.
Delhi police search for missing student Najeeb Ahmed on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in New Delhi yesterday.
