Police had identified at least 70 administrators of two WhatsApp groups. (Photo Credit: Screengrab)
New Delhi:
Four days after a masked mob entered the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus here and assaulted 34 people including students, the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police on Thursday said it had zeroed in on a few suspects behind the attack.
A senior police officer said they had identified at least 70 administrators of two WhatsApp groups, where the attack on members of the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) was allegedly planned.
According to the police, they were very close to identifying the culprits behind Sunday’s attack and had zeroed in on a few suspects.
The dump data of the mobile phones of those present on the university campus on Sunday was collected and being scanned, the police said.
So far, the police have spoken to more than 100 people from the campus, including students, teachers, wardens and witnesses.
After the incident, several students shared screenshots of conversations in certain WhatsApp groups, alleging that the attack on them was planned. A police officer said they had now identified at least 70 administrators of two WhatsApp groups.
The police, however, said they were trying to identify all the members of the two WhatsApp groups and will be questioning them to probe their involvement in the attack.
After the police made a public appeal requesting people to share information, footage and video clips related to the incident, several students came forward to share the details. The police said they were also scanning the video clips and CCTV footage shared on social media platforms to verify its authenticity. A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory had also visited the university to collect more evidence, the police said.
In a rare show of support, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday defended the Delhi Police for its conduct during the JNU mob attack. While addressing media in Delhi, Kejriwal indirectly blamed the Narendra Modi government for the way the cops remained ‘mute spectators’ on the day when the masked thugs terrorised the JNU students. “Delhi Police kya kar sakti hai? Oopar se aadesh agar aayega ki aapko hinsa nahi rokni, law and order theek nahi karna hai to vo bichare kya karenge? Agar nahi manenge to suspend ho jayenge (sic) (What would have Delhi Police done? They had the order from the above to not stop the violence, not to restore the law and order. They would have been suspended if they had acted on time),” Kejriwal was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
