'Slapped, dragged by hair': JMI students allege ‘torture’ while in detention

NEW DELHI: After hours of “mental torture”, the Delhi police released the JMI students who were detained early in the morning today. “We were not allowed to make a call or talk to our parents”, a female student who was allegedly slapped by a female police personnel of the Jamia police station said.

These students were protesting against the Jamia Millia Islamia administration for restricting them from holding protests, gatherings, and demonstrations.

“We are the students of Jamia Millia Islamia. We have been protesting for the last 4 days . Our comrades were detained early morning around 6 am. A male police guard forcefully dragged me inside the police station through the back door by grabbing my hair, because there were cameras in front of the main gate. And all the students were almost thrown inside the station in a bad manner,” a student who was released was narrating the ordeal in front of the Badarpur Police Station in a video.

Another female student said: I was slapped twice by a female police officer of the Jamia police station just because I had my phone in my hand. I did not know they were going to detain us and they were not telling us where we were being taken. Despite crying and shouting for help and requesting them to let us make a call, they did not allow us to talk to anyone, not even our parents. We have the right to make a call, but our rights were violated. We were mentally tortured the whole time.”

Today, at 5.30 am in the morning, around 10 protesting students, including women, were detained in separate police stations, SFI unit said, claiming that the Delhi Police refused to share their whereabouts.

The students have been protesting against the Jamia Millia Islamia administration for issuing show cause notices to two students for organising a gathering to observe “Jamia Resistance Day”. The indefinite sit-in protest against the administration’s unjust crackdown on campus democracy started on Monday.

A day before, the protesting students claimed the institute refused to have a dialogue with them and had deployed 20 guards near the protesting area. Students, including women, formed a human chain to protect themselves from these guards. Escalating the situation, the canteen and lights in the premises were also shut down.

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SFI calls for nationwide protest

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) said that they were peacefully organising the sit-in protest on campus area against the administration’s attempt to restrict the democratic right of students to hold protest and gatherings, and against the disciplinary actions against student activists.

After the students were detained in the morning, the SFI called for nationwide protests “to defend the democratic rights of Jamia Millia Islamia students”.

JMI student talking to press after being released from Badarpur police station. (Source: AISA)

“SFI appeals to all democratic forces to stand in solidarity with the protesting students. The Central Executive Committee of the Students’ Federation of India demands the immediate release of the students in custody. SFI also demands the withdrawal of suspension of the students and the undemocratic notices issued against students and their democratic rights,” the statement read.