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India

JNU writes to police over ‘bail violations’ by 14 students amid campus unrest

Varsity alleges fresh protests despite court bar; JNUSU rejects charges, calls it crackdown on dissent

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University has reportedly written to the Station House Officer of Vasant Kunj), alleging that 14 students currently out on bail have repeatedly violated conditions imposed by the court.

In a letter dated March 9, the university stated that a key bail condition explicitly barred the students from participating in, organising, or leading any protest or assembly within or outside the campus.

However, JNU authorities claimed that the students have continued to remain on campus in defiance of an “out-of-bounds” order and have actively taken part in protest activities.

According to the letter, the students were involved in a late-night protest between March 8 and 9, during which they allegedly set up a makeshift encampment at the lawns of the School of Language (SL) and the School of International Studies (SIS). The administration noted that while university security had earlier removed tents, blankets and mattresses from the site, the structure was reinstalled soon after.

The university termed these actions a “clear violation” of both bail conditions and its lawful directives, and urged the police to take appropriate steps to ensure compliance.

The ongoing standoff is part of a broader unrest that has gripped the campus since early February. Tensions began after disciplinary action was taken against office bearers of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU), including the suspension of four members and a former president over alleged vandalism during a protest last year.

Subsequent demonstrations led to the detention of at least 14 students in late February. They were lodged in Tihar Jail and later released on bail by March 1.

Responding to the university’s claims, JNUSU dismissed the allegations as baseless. The union, however, criticised the administration for citing a peaceful march held on International Working Women’s Day as an example of bail violation, calling it an attempt to criminalise legitimate student protest.

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