Would have intervened at right time and prevented JNU violence: Former top cop Neeraj Kumar

Former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar on Sunday said had he been in command of the force, he would have sought intelligence and intervened "at any appropriate time" to prevent the situation on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus from deteriorating.

Kumar's remark came amid widespread criticism received by police for its delayed intervention during the January 5 violence in JNU when masked people armed with rods and sticks ran amok on the campus and assaulted students and faculty, and vandalised property, leaving 34 people injured.

"The administration kept seeing the situation and that was wrong. Police could have acted even without VC's request," Kumar said.

"More importantly, the special branch and the local police, which was aware of how things were happening over the last few days, should have foreseen the events and based on its own reports it could have intervened," he said.

Asked what would he have done differently had he been the police commissioner?