JNU Violence: Delhi HC Asks WhatsApp, Google To Provide Information Sought By Police

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked WhatsApp and Google to preserve and provide information related to the JNU violence to police. The court also asked police to seize at the earliest phones of members of two WhatsApp groups on which the January 5 violence was allegedly coordinated.

Justice Brijesh Sethi directed the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration to provide at the earliest the CCTV footage of the violence sought by police.

The court’s observations came on the plea filed by JNU professors Ameet Parameswaran, Atul Sood and Shukla Vinayak Sawant seeking directions to the Delhi Police Commissioner and Delhi government.

On January 5, a mob of masked men stormed the campus and targeted students in three hostels, unleashing mayhem with sticks, stones and iron rods by hitting inmates and breaking windows, furniture and personal belongings.

Three FIRs have been registered at Vasant Kunj (north) police station in connection with the incident.

Registration Date Extended

Meanwhile, the Jawaharlal Nehru University on Sunday extended the date for the winter semester registration till January 15. This is the second time that the registration date has been extended in a week. Earlier, it had been extended from January 5 to 12. In a circular on Sunday, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) said the students can register up to January 15 without any fine.

JNUSU’s attack

The JNU Students' Union on Saturday alleged that the police were informed about a mob's presence on the campus much before the violence on January 5 but they ignored the messages. "They were informed at 3 pm and the messages were read at 3.07 pm but the messages were ignored," the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) claimed at a press conference. It also alleged that the RSS-affiliated ABVP was involved in attacking women students and JNUSU office-bearers last week.