The Delhi police is yet to make any arrests in the JNU mob attack case. On January 5, a mob of masked individuals went on a rampage on the university campus. They attacked the Sabarmati Hostel and beat up several students and teachers. The mob, captured on video carrying iron rods, hammers and sticks, was allegedly composed of some JNU, Delhi University students and others. Around 35 people, including students and teachers, were injured in the attack and had to be hospitalised.
The Delhi police, whose actions have been questioned and criticised heavily in the recent past, formed a SIT to probe the case. It has been 40 days since the incident, but the police hasn't been able to apprehend or even interrogate any of the suspects belonging to the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Students belonging to Left groups, who were also listed as suspects, have already been questioned.
The Delhi police last informed that they identified nine individuals in a news conference conducted on January 10.
The police’s role itself became suspect when they were quick to attribute violence to those belonging to the Left groups, but refrained from acknowledging the ABVP’s involvement, despite there being enough video evidence circulated on social media. Addressing the news conference on January 10, deputy police commissioner (crime) Joy Tirkey named some of the suspects, which included JNU Students’ Union president Aishe Ghosh. Aishe sustained severe injuries during the attack.
The police later identified one of the masked women – spotted carrying a stick in a video – as Komal Sharma, an ABVP member and a student of Daulat Ram College. However, they have not been able to trace her since then. Akshat Awasthi and Vikas Patel, two other suspects, are also at large. The former was caught on camera in an India Today sting admitting his role in mobilising people to attack students protesting the hostel fee hike. The ABVP denied Awasthi was a member of the organisation.
Calls and texts to Tirkey for comment went unanswered.
