JNU Student missing row: VC offers to talk; terms confinement wrong

After Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice-Chancellor and other office staff were held in the administrative block for over 15 hours, VC Jagadesh Kumar has appealed the students to come and talk rather than confining their teachers like this. He said it is wrong to physically confine them as it is only going to affect the university.

Six days after MSc first year student Najeeb Ahmed went missing from the campus the situation got more critical after students from JNU Student Union held University's Vice-Chancellor and other officials in the administrative block hurling their protest against management for not meeting their demands.

The students are demanding the VC to file a new copy of FIR in the missing case. VC Jagadish Kumar while confirming the hostage briefed the situation on Twitter and asked the students to let them go. He also refered to the medical condition of some of the office staff insisting their need of medication.

I appeal to the agitating JNU students to please come to the table for discussion. Our first concern should be to locate missing student.

— M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) October 19, 2016

The JNU students union defended its stand claiming there has been no "illegal detention".

Agitating JNU students should realize it is wrong to physically confine their own teachers like this. This will only affect our JNU.

— M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) October 19, 2016

"We have not illegally confined anybody in JNU administrative building. Electricity and all kind of supplies are here. We have also sent food for people inside," Mohit Pandey, President, JNUSU said.

Police officials were seen outside the campus awaiting a nod from the administration to enter the premises.

A large number of students had gathered at the administrative block in the afternoon to protest. After Sloganeering and demonstration the students blocked the gates of the building.

After intervention from the security the locks were opened, but in the evening as most of the staff left, the students again continued with the blockade.

"The blockade is due to the insensitive way of handling the matter of Najeeb Ahmed -- the violence against him by ABVP which led to him missing from the campus for over five days now and the JNU administration trying to shield the culprits while refusing to lodge an FIR," the JNUSU President said.

The situation remained tense with the left-backed JNUSU and ABVP levelling allegations and counter-allegations.

ABVP alleged that there is inconsistency in the statements of the JNUSU president Mohit Pandey and the roommate of Ahmad.

Meanwhile, at least 12 students were summoned earlier in the day by JNU administration to appear before the proctorial committee in connection with a case involving a missing student amid protests by students who claimed Vice Chancellor acted in an "insensitive" manner on the issue.

A student of School of Biotechnology, Najeeb Ahmed, allegedly went missing on Saturday following a brawl on the campus the night before.

An FIR for kidnapping and wrongfully confining a person was lodged at Vasant Kunj North police station yesterday after the police received a complaint from the student's guardians.