Jamia violence: Police files ATR in court, seeks to dismiss plea demanding FIR against officials

Delhi Police on Monday filed an action taken report (ATR) about the Jamia violence in a court and requested to dismiss a plea seeking FIR against police officials for entering the varsity campus without permission and allegedly subjecting students to brutality.

Delhi Police, in the ATR filed before Metropolitan Magistrate Rajat Goyal, said that with a view to contain the violence and maintain law and order, the police were constrained to enter the JMI university campus. The court listed the matter for further hearing on April 7.

"It is submitted that the said action was required to be taken in light of the ongoing violence from within the university campus and to rescue the innocent students trapped inside and to ensure normalcy," the ATR said.

Delhi Police also said that during the incident in Jamia, a large number of police officials and public persons were injured and police have registered FIR over the violence.

Police said that the unruly mob which was slowly retreating back, instead of dispersing, strategically went inside the Jamia Milia University campus and by using the university campus as a cover started pelting stones, tube-lights and other objects resulting in grievous injuries to police personal and public persons. All through this, they raised extremely provocative slogans.

"The police tried to control the violent mob by using a loudspeaker and requested them not to take law in their hands but they did not pay any heed to the warning and lawful directions of police and kept on damaging the public property," it said.

Police said that tear gas shells and moderate force were used to disperse and push back this unlawful assembly by various teams.

The court was hearing a petition filed by varsity's Registrar, through advocates Asghar Khan and Tariq Anwar, which sought directions to register an FIR under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act among others.

According to the petitioner, University's Chief Proctor had filed a complaint at Jamia Nagar police station on December 16, 2019, for registration of FIR against the unauthorized entry of police into the campus, inflicting physical injuries to students and damaging the properties.

"However, to date, no FIR has been registered in this regard," the varsity said in its plea.