Barbaric beatings in Jamia by police, allege activists

"Barbaric" beatings, abuse and humiliation were perpetrated on students by the police during their crackdown on those protesting against the citizenship law on Sunday in Jamia Millia Islamia, alleged students and activists on Tuesday.

The university had turned into a battlefield on Sunday as police entered the campus and also used force, following protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, that led to violence and arson in which four DTC buses, 100 private vehicles and 10 police bikes were damaged.

"I was outside the central library around 7.30 pm on Sunday when I saw policemen on the campus. I was hit on the leg, chest and other parts," said Hanzala, a student of English(H) at JMI, at a press conference.

Nadim from a human rights group, United Against Hate, also alleged that police beat up students in Jamia library.

"Most students thrashed and detained by police were from Jamia Millia library," he alleged.

An advocate, Fawaj Shaheen, said students were also beaten up at Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh where protests broke out against the police action in Delhi.

"The right hand of an AMU student was amputated after he was hit by a tear gas shell. RAF personnel abused and humiliated students," he alleged.

Students who were injured refused to identify themselves fearing NSA will be imposed on them, he further alleged.