SIT chief narrates chronology of events prior to JNU violence on Jan 5

DCP Joy Tirkey, who is heading the Delhi Police Crime Branch probe into the JNU violence on Friday explained the chronology of events before the violence that broke out on the varsity on January 5.

"JNU administration decided to go for online registration of students from January 1-5. JNU Students' Union including Students Front of India (SFI), All India Students Federation (AISF), All India Students Association (AISA) and Democratic Students Federation (DSF) were against it," DCP Tirkey said at a press conference here.

"A large majority of students want to register but the mentioned groups and their sympathizers were not allowing students to do the same," he added.

The SIT chief further narrated what had transpired on the campus on January 3 and 4.

"On January 3, members of the four organizations (AISA, AISF, SFI, DSF) entered the computer room forcefully and manhandled the staff. They also turned off the server, an FIR was registered in connection with this by the JNU administration," DCP Tirkey said

"Again on January 4, miscreants broke a glass door and entered the room forcefully and damaged the server room. Regarding this, an FIR was lodged by the administration," he added.

He further said that some students, who wanted to get the registration process completed, were beaten by a group of people on the campus.

"On January 5, four students who wanted to get their registration process completed were beaten up by a group of people at around 11:30 am. A few guards of the university were also injured in the attempt to save the students," he said.

"Further, at around 3:45 pm a group of masked members, some of them belonging to the JNUSU, including its President Aishe Ghosh, entered the Periyar Hostel and a scuffle ensued in which injuries happened to students. The miscreants then entered Sabarmati hostel and targeted select rooms. It appears there were internal students in the group as it is not easy to navigate the campus without the help of some internal elements," he added about the events on January 5.

The SIT chief revealed he had also received information of some Whatsapp groups which were being investigated in by the team.

Addressing the media Tirkey also released images of the suspects.

On January 5, more than 30 students of the university, including JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, were injured and taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre after a masked mob entered the varsity and attacked them and professors with sticks and rods.