Skip to main content

Delhi Police 'taking revenge' against Jamia students: President Kovind asked to act

Counterview Desk 
In a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind seeking his intervention in recent arrests of several student activists of Jamia Millia Islamia, 140 plus signatories from diverse groups, including academicians, students, alumni and activists from India and abroad, have said that this is being done “with the ill will of the police authorities and is clearly a violation of basic legal norms.”
The letter says, the arrest of Jamia students by the Delhi police is being carried out “with the intention to take revenge”, adding, “They wanted to silence the voices that are being raised against their arbitrariness. This is visible from their action that during this global pandemic also they are arresting scholars of a 100 years old university.”

Text:

We, as concerned citizens are deeply disturbed by the recent state of affairs by the Delhi Police.
Jamia Millia Islamia as an institution is a complainant in the case against the Delhi Police. In which it has been alleged that Delhi police entered the university premises without their sanction and vandalized the university library.
Furthermore, they have beaten the university security guard for entering the campus and innocent students studying in the university library and reading hall, of which several were brutally assaulted and one of them lost his eye. This complaint was filed by the university officials after the pressure created by the students (two of them got recently arrested and were booked under the Unlawful Activities [Prevention] Act).
However, the Delhi Police denied all these charges and submitted to the court that they entered the library to protect the students sitting in the library. The fact of the matter is that there is no FIR against the police personnel till now and the above-stated matter is also for the registration of the FIR.
This brings out that if any security agency is at fault then it is difficult to register an FIR against them. But it is evident from the leaked CCTV footage of the university library that the brutality of the Delhi Police was extremely harsh and no state will treat their students like this.
Why all this is narrated to you when everyone is aware of the police brutality that happened on the December 15, 2019? Interestingly, 2019 was the centenary year of the martyrdom of Jallianawala Bagh. All this is narrated to you because when the police brutality took place against the students of Jamia, the whole nation stood up for their cause so that they should get justice.
But the recent arrest of the Jamia student is done with the ill will of the police authorities and is clearly a violation of the basic legal norm i.e., Nemo Judex in Causa Sua, means, "no-one is a judge in his own cause." The action took place after the district court asked the Delhi Police what action you had taken on the incident of December 15.
They wanted to silence the voices that are being raised against arbitrariness. This is visible from their action that during global pandemic
This raises a question on the criminal justice system of the civilized state, that do we ask the murderer before registering an FIR against him: ‘Hey murderer (alleged) do we register an FIR against you because you have been alleged as an accused in the murder case’? What do you think, how will he respond? His response will not be self-incriminating but he might give excuses for doing the murder.
In the legal process, the case of the prosecution is heard first, then comes the defense, but in the case of Jamia, Delhi Police is getting all the right to defend themselves and they are also tampering with the evidence because they are roaming free and have the authority to do whatever they want (by putting the students of Jamia in jail as they are a prime witness in the said case).
Therefore, any arrest of the students of Jamia or any other university by the Delhi Police is with the intention to take revenge. They wanted to silence the voices that are being raised against their arbitrariness. This is visible from their action that during this global pandemic also they are arresting the scholars of a 100 years old university.
So, if the arresting of victims of December 15 is possible in this situation of pandemic then to safeguard the criminal justice system the investigation should also start against the accused of December 15.
Likewise, the situation that broke in the Northeast part of Delhi, there are a series of news reports that indicate inaction by the police authorities. This calls for an independent inquiry into the matter. However, with a spree of arrests taking place, in some cases on vague grounds, it becomes essential for your office to intervene.
We urge you to look into this matter and help justice prevail.
---
Click HERE for signatories

Comments

TRENDING

Gujarat's high profile GIFT city 'fails to attract' funds, India's FinTech investment dips

By Rajiv Shah  While the Narendra Modi government may have gone out of the way to promote the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), sought to be developed as India’s formidable financial technology hub off the state capital Gandhinagar, just 20 km from Ahmedabad, a recent report , prepared by Tracxn Technologies suggests that neither of the two cities figure in the list of top FinTech funding receiving centres.

Why Ramdev, vaccine producing pharma companies and government are all at fault

By Colin Gonsalves*  It was perhaps Ramdev’s closeness to government which made him over-confident. According to reports he promoted a cure for Covid, thus directly contravening various provisions of The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. Persons convicted of such offences may not get away with a mere apology and would suffer imprisonment.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Malayalam movie Aadujeevitham: Unrealistic, disservice to pastoralists

By Rosamma Thomas*  The Malayalam movie 'Aadujeevitham' (Goat Life), currently screening in movie theatres in Kerala, has received positive reviews and was featured also on the website of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The story is based on a 2008 novel by Benyamin, and relates the real-life story of a job-seeker from Kerala tricked into working in slave conditions in a goat farm in Saudi Arabia.

Decade long Modi rule 'undermines' people's welfare and democracy

By Ram Puniyani*  Modi has many ploys up his sleeves when it comes to propaganda. On one hand he is turning many a pronouncements of Congress in the communal direction, on the other he is claiming that whatever has been achieved during last ten years of his rule is phenomenal, but it is still a ‘trailer’ and the bigger things are in the offing as he claims to be coming to power yet again in 2024. While his admirers are ga ga about his achievements, the truth lies somewhere else.

Belgian report alleges MNC Etex responsible for asbestos pollution in Madhya Pradesh town Kymore: COP's Geneva meet

By Our Representative A comprehensive Belgian report has held MNC Etex , into construction business and one of the richest, responsible for asbestos pollution in Kymore, an industrial town in in Katni district of Madhya Pradesh. The report provides evidence from the ground on how Kymore’s dust even today is “annoying… it creeps into your clothes, you have to cough it”, saying “It can be deadly.”

Plagued by opportunism, adventurism, tailism, Left 'doesn't matter' in India

By Harsh Thakor*  2024 elections are starting when India appears to be on the verge of turning proto-fascist. The Hindutva saffron brigade has penetrated in every sphere of Indian life, every social order, destroying and undermining the very fabric of the Constitution.

Can universal basic income help usher in sustainable egalitarianism in India?

By Prof RR Prasad*  The ongoing debate on application of Article 39(b) in the Supreme Court on redistribution of community material resources to subserve common good and for ushering in an egalitarian society has opened new vistas wherein possible available alternative solutions could be explored.

Press freedom? 28 journalists killed since 2014, nine currently in jail

By Kirity Roy*  On the eve of the Press Freedom Day on 3rd of May, the Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) shared its anxiety with the broader civil society platforms as the situation of freedom of any form of expression became grimmer in India day by day. This day was intended to raise awareness on the importance of freedom of press and to pay tribute to pressmen who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Ahmedabad's Muslim ghetto voters 'denied' right to exercise franchise?

By Tanushree Gangopadhyay*  Sections of Gujarat Muslims, with a population of 10 per cent of the State, have been allegedly denied their rights to exercise their franchise in the Juhapura area of Ahmedabad.