Jamia library video not released by us, says university PRO

After a CCTV footage showing police personnel assaulting students inside Jamia Millia Islamia library on December 15 last year surfaced on social media, the varsity administration on Sunday said that it did not release the video.

"It has come to our notice that a video with regard to police brutality in Dr Zakir Husain Library of the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) is in circulation. This is to clarify that the video has not been released by the university," university PRO Ahmad Azeem said in a statement.

In the CCTV footage, policemen in riot gear are seen barging into the library and beating students with batons.

On December 15 last year, Delhi Police had thrown teargas shells inside the campus. The action followed a day of protests where some protesters -- Jamia has maintained these were outsiders and not students -- set buses and vehicles ablaze in some parts of South Delhi.

Azeem also said that Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC), which is spearheading the protest against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Population Register (NPR) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) outside Gate No. 7 of the university on Maulana Mohammed Ali Jauhar Road is not an official body of the university.

"JCC is actually a Joint Coordination Committee of students and alumni of Jamia Millia Islamia," he said, adding that any communication from JCC should not be taken as communication from the varsity.

"A number of Twitter accounts, Facebook pages and other users on different social media platforms are using Jamia Millia Islamia's name, creating confusion among the people. The university's official Twitter handle is @jmiu_official. Official verified Facebook page is Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi @jmiofficial. Official Instagram account is jamiamilliaislamia_official," the statement said.

"We have also requested Twitter to verify our official handle and will also ask other social media platforms to do the same," it said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police Special Commissioner (Crime) Praveer Ranjan said the police have taken cognizance of the video and will investigate it.