JNU student arrested for cleaver attack on fellow student over friendship with woman

NEW DELHI: A Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student, who allegedly attacked a fellow student with a meat cleaver over his friendship with a woman student, has been arrested, police said on Monday. The JNU cleaver incident took place around 3 pm on November 5 in a room in the Barak Hostel on the university campus. 

The victim, Saurabh, a second-year language student, was allegedly attacked by Ajay, who is pursuing his MA at the university and had objected to his friendship with a woman student, police said. Ajay allegedly assaulted Saurabh with the meat cleaver, inflicting serious injuries to his head, face, hand and eye. 

The attack left Saurabh with severe injuries, including loss of vision in his right eye. According to the police, Ajay also sustained injuries in the incident, along with three other students. All the injured were taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre. The JNU incident left bloodstains on the hostel premises, with eyewitnesses reporting traces of blood from the first floor to the ground floor, triggering shock among students and faculty members. 

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The woman student, who was friends with Saurabh, approached the police with a complaint following the incident. Based on her complaint, the Vasant Kunj North police station registered an FIR on Friday (November 6) under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including attempt to murder, and arrested Ajay. Further investigation into the incident is underway, police said.