Delhi Police files rioting case against JNU students 

A fresh FIR is learnt to have been filed by Delhi Police for alleged ‘rioting’ by JNU students. This was confirmed on Sunday by sources within Delhi Police. CNN News 18 too reported late on Saturday night that “a case of rioting registered against protesting students at the Sarojini Nagar police station with respect to the JNU protests at INA.”

PRO, Delhi Police, Madhur Verma, however, denied the reports and told NH, “no fresh FIR has been filed”. But attempts to contact Romil Baaniya, DCP South Delhi, proved futile as he neither picked up phone calls, nor did he reply to the text messages sent to him seeking confirmation.

A case of rioting, destruction of public property and obstructing public servants from discharging their duty was registered on Friday at the Sarojini Nagar police station after the police crackdown on the students. The fresh case, therefore, has come as a surprise.

JNU students told NH, “Since they now know that they are incapable of catching real rioters, they want to frame us,” one of them exclaimed.

A section of the media, some of whom were also caught in the melee and were assaulted by the police, have openly come out in support of the JNU students. Protesting against police high handedness outside the Delhi Police headquarters on Saturday, they declared that the long march by students was peaceful and policemen were the ones who manhandled the students first, used water cannon and tear gas shells before students clashed with the police.

Dissatisfied with the explanation of the police that they had failed to identify journalists, this section decided to submit a memorandum to the Union Home Minister demanding immediate suspension of the errant policemen.