JNU Vice-Chancellor meets top cop, reward hiked

While JNU vice-chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar met Delhi police commissioner Alok Kumar Verma on Monday over the issue of missing student Najeeb Ahmad, the Delhi police announced an increase in reward for any information leading to him from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

“The vice-chancellor and the rector expressed the JNU community’s anguish over the missing JNU student and appealed to the police commissioner to expedite and strengthen the search for Najeeb,” an official JNU statement said. The JNU administration and Mr Kumar also called a meeting with JNU students’ union, teachers’ association and officer’s association, staff association, the hostel president and four wardens of Mahi Mandavi hostel in this regard.

He informed them that the police department has taken several serious steps to find Najeeb Ahmed and has even decided to increase the amount of reward for information regarding Najeeb from Rs 50,000 to Rs 100,000. “All the members of the JNU community were requested to pass on any information they have to help us find Najeeb,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, Congress affiliated NSUI under the leadership of national president Amrita Dhawan met Delhi lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung over the issue and submitted a memorandum of demands to him. “We want you to personally intervene in the matter with immediate effect and humbly request you to direct Delhi police to find Najeeb on a priority basis,” it said.

On the other hand, scores of JNU students held a protest march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar demanding expedited efforts to trace the student. Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D. Raja at Jantar Mantar joined the agitating students.

The march was organised as a part of “Bring Back Najeeb” campaign and even witnessed Najeeb’s mother as a participant. “We know how with the patronage of this government certain students’ organisations have been working in various campuses in order to browbeat the opposition. They do so in order to ensure that students do not have their legitimate democratic rights and their right to debate dissent,” Mr Yechury said.

The CPI (M) leader, who is also a JNU alumnus, said he has met President Pranab Mukherjee, who is aware of the missing student’s case. “We will stand by you and raise voice in support of your demands”, Mr Yechury added.