NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Tuesday made a public appeal asking for pictures, footage and other information relating to the violence that erupted in the Jawaharlal Nehru University hostels two days back. “All those who are witnesses to the incident or have any information about the incident or have captured any activity on their mobile phones or camera” to “come forward and give their statements/footage/picture in their possession to the SIT,” police said in the appeal.
The university has CCTV cameras installed at the administration block and the main gates but the hostel corridors and entrances have no cameras. Meanwhile, forensic teams with photo experts visited the places of occurrence — Sabarmati, Periyar and Mahi Mandvi hostels — to look for evidence.
Teams from Physics, Chemistry and Biology divisions of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) were in the university, sources said.
The Physics team will collect evidence such as rods and stones used by the masked mob to attack students and teachers at the university, while the Chemistry team will collect samples of chemicals, if there are any.
The biology team will collect DNA samples, among other evidence.
A team of photo experts from the FSL was also present at the campus.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Western Range) Shalini Singh, who is heading a fact-finding committee to probe the incident, also visited the JNU campus and spoke to students and teachers.
Delhi Police has requested the FSL to also send a computer forensics team to analyse CCTV footage and it is likely to visit the university on Wednesday, according to the sources.
Delhi Police Additional PRO Anil Mittal elaborated on this and said that a team of officials from Crime Branch, which is investigating the case, is taking it up in a scientific and professional manner. The Delhi Police on Sunday registered an FIR against 20 students including three JNUSU office bearers in connection with an incident that occurred on Saturday wherein the security guards were trying to clear the Communication and Information Services Centre that had been occupied by the students to prevent the students from registering online for the winter examinations.
On Monday, the university saw a complete shut down with most dhabas and canteens closed with protests taking place throughout. Police personnel were deployed at the gates. Only visitors with valid identity cards were being allowed entry. JNU Professor Sucharita Sen, who was injured during the violence, has submitted a written complaint to the Vasant Kunj North Police Station. There has been no FIR on Sen’s complaint.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police's Crime Branch issued a public appeal urging "all those who are witnesses to the incident or have any information about the incident or have captured any activity on their mobile phones or camera" to "come forward and give their statements/footage/picture in their possession to the SIT".
(With PTI inputs)