The Struggle to Find Najeeb and Justice for Najeeb Will Continue

In an immensely disappointing development today, the Delhi High Court has disposed Fatima Nafees’ habeas corpus petition regarding her missing son Najeeb Ahmed and allowed CBI to file a closure report. The plea to transfer the case to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been declined by the Delhi HC.

On the night of 14-15 October 2016, a group of ABVP cadres subjected a new student from MSc Biotechnology, Najeeb Ahmad, to outright violence. Others intervened to stop the violence. But the next morning, Najeeb disappeared – and has never been found since. Both JNU VC and Delhi police colluded to shield the perpetrators of violence on Najeeb. The JNU VC in a brazen display of his partisan politics, refused to act on the reports of the Wardens’ Committee and Proctorial Board which nailed the crime by the ABVP cadres. Instead, the JNUSU office bearers and other students have been punished with heavy fines for their ‘crime’ of protesting for justice for Najeeb. On the other hand, the Delhi Police manufactured false evidence by forcing an auto driver to lie that he took Najeeb to Jamia Millia Islamia in his auto. The Police used this spurious story as one more excuse to stall the investigation into the case in the crucial initial few months.

The facts remain that Najeeb was attacked by 9 ABVP goons. They have still not been called for custodial interrogation. The collusion and shielding attitude of CBI is also evident from the fact that even the phone records of the 9 accused have been not properly investigated! It is apparent for all to see what kind of an investigation it must be if premier investigation agencies do not even bother to interrogate the people who have been found guilty of assaulting a young student before he went missing. This is a blatantly politically motivated enquiry that has only sought to protect those accused of assaulting Najeeb and ensure the truth about Najeeb’s disappearance is never revealed. And more regretfully, today the Delhi HC has declined Fatima Nafees’ appeal to transfer the case to a SIT.

After Najeeb’s disappearance, JNU has seen the determined protest and outrage among the student community which held a spontaneous blockade of the AD Block, apart from several protests held inside and outside the campus. Students had time and again risen in rage against the JNU administration which had termed Najeeb an accused in their notices, had not allowed Delhi Police to search the campus in the crucial days after his disappearance and had not even filed an FIR about a student who had gone missing from his hostel. And no setback can deter us from our struggle. Fatima Nafees has already decided to challenge the Delhi HC verdict in the Supreme Court. And JNU students will continue our fights in solidarity for justice for Najeeb.

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