Over 600 police personnel, along with sniffer dogs visited the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus on Monday morning to look for clues that could lead them to Najeeb Ahmed, an MSc student who has been missing since October this year. The residential areas inside the campus are currently being scanned for possible clues as the search goes into its second day.
The search began around 11 am on Monday with a team of police personnel visiting the Mahi-Mandvi hostel where Najeeb stayed. The search was carried out under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) G Ram Gopal Naik. The police were assisted by sniffer dogs who sniffed Ahmed's clothes but could not make any progress and stopped after circling around the hostel.
"All agencies of Delhi Police including Special Cell, Special Branch and the local police pooling more than 600 personnel scanned the hostels, residential areas, academic blocks and forested area today till 5 pm. Help of Mounted Police was also taken to scan the vast area, but nothing was found," a senior police officer was quoted by NDTV as saying.
The search is being carried out by 12 ACPs, 30 inspectors and 60 sub-inspectors along with hundreds of constables under the supervision of two DCPs.
Search operation continues for the second day by Delhi Police in JNU campus to trace the missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed. pic.twitter.com/70GSkdJCIL
— ANI (@ANI_news) December 20, 2016
JNU students have lashed out at the police for delaying the search for Ahmed who went missing in October after allegedly being beated up by a group of 20 students consisting of mostly ABVP members. The university administration had identified four students who were involved in the incident and ordered their transfer to other hostels.
"The police has not taken any action for finding Najeeb. They have not followed the procedures and responsibilities. Those who had beaten him were not interrogated," JNUSU president Mohit Pandey had told the media last month.
Ahmed's mother Fatima Nafees said that the search being carried out by the police has come in "too late" and was "futile." "They should have carried out this search immediately after Najeeb went missing. But now, it's of no use. I appeal to the police to bring back my son and I will take him home from here," she said.
His sister denied all reports that said that he was on anti-depressants. She alleged that the police was trying to give a different angle to the case and trying to defame him. She added that the family had requested for a CBI probe.
The Delhi Police announced a reward of Rs. 10 lakh to anyone who provides them with information about Ahmed. A complaint was also filed under IPC Section 365 for kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine a person, and a proctorial inquiry was also initiated by the varsity, the Indian Express reported.
Ahmed's family, along with JNU students, has been protesting at the campus against police inaction in trying to locate the missing student. They have also demanded that ABVP members be arrested. However, the ABVP said that they want the police to carry out a thorough search to locate Ahmed but lashed out at the JNU Students' Union and JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) for the heavy presence of police on the campus.
"After 1983 its first time that such a huge number of policemen have come on the campus. This is a result of directionless politics of JNUSU and JNUTA. Why are all those who earlier spoke against police presence on campus silent today?" former JNUSU joint secretary and ABVP leader Saurabh Sharma told the media.
The search was carried out after the Delhi High Court directed the police to search the whole JNU campus including hostels, classrooms and rooftops of the buildings with the help of sniffer dogs. The court also asked the JNUSU to produce an affidavit regarding its cooperation with the police.
"Sixty-five days of Najeeb's disappearance, what did Delhi Police do? In the last three hearings in the court counsel for crime branch himself accepted that there has been delay by Delhi Police in searching Najeeb... Now to save their face in front of the court they are doing absurd exercises with clueless methodology... The police is searching JNU campus right now and JNUSU will cooperate with them but this has been already communicated that they have to avoid "disturbances" to students, teachers and staff," a statement released by JNUSU said accusing the Delhi Police of "paying lip service" to the court order.
The student body also warned the police that if their search caused disturbance to the students, teachers and other staff members of the university, they would not be "entertained" on the campus. They also suggested that the residence of the vice-chancellor be searched.
