Day after police crackdown at Jamia, detained students narrate ordeals

As many as 50 students, who were detained at the University on Sunday, were released in the early hours of Monday.

Students stage a demonstration at the India Gate in a show of solidarity with the students from Jamia Millia Islamia and several other universities across the country protesting the contentious amended citizenship law in New Delhi. (Photo | PTI)

NEW DELHI: A day after police barged into the Jamia Millia Islamia University here during a startling crackdown on campus, students who were detained recalled the moments of horror when they were taken to nearby police stations.

Syed Laraib Neyazi, a student of Gender Studies, said he was detained at around 10 pm from the Holy Family Hospital and taken to the New Friends Colony police station.

"The policemen who detained me were in plainclothes and while detaining me along with another student, who was grievously injured, they used a communal slur and on the way to the police station, even beat us," he claimed.

Another student, whose friend was detained, said her friend is in such trauma that he is barely able to speak.

"He was accompanied by some women students. Just because the police could not detain the women, they detained him despite him not being at fault. He is quite traumatised and is leaving for home," she said.

A student pursuing his education at the University through correspondence said he was walking towards the stadium for cricket practice around 6. 30 pm when he saw policemen running behind some men.

"I do not know why I felt scared seeing so many policemen. I also entered the university and subsequently went to the library when I saw many students running towards it," he said.

Later, he was one of the many students taken out of the library, lathicharged and then detained at the Kalkaji police station in southeast Delhi.

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"I was not even there in the protest where violence and arson happened. When they detained me, I was scared that a case would be lodged against me. But we were released at around 3. 30 am on Monday," he said.

The student said while he is doing fine, his family is worried about his safety and has called him back home.

"I had my under-19 cricket selection at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Monday but my mother was so scared after Sunday's incident that she has called me back home," he said.

As many as 50 students, who were detained at the University on Sunday, were released in the early hours of Monday.

Of the 50 students, 35 were released from the Kalkaji police station and 15 from the New Friends Colony police station.