HC denies Jamia students relief, lawyers shout 'shame'

Lawyers shouted 'shame shame' inside the courtroom after the Delhi High Court on Thursday declined to grant any protection from arrest to students of Jamia Millia Islamia University in the violence reported during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 on Sunday.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and C Hari Shankar issued a notice to the Centre and Delhi police on a plea for setting up a judicial inquiry into the incident, where students as well as to Delhi police personnel were injured.

Senior advocates Colin Gonsalves, Salman Khurshid and Hariharan appeared on behalf of the petitioners. Gonsalves sought registration of FIR against the police personnel and a direction to keep the FIR lodged against the students in abeyance and preserve all CCTV footage. The counsel demanded a high-level inquiry into the alleged police brutalities on the students at the library.

They also sought a direction for protection from arrest to the students, which the court declined.

As the bench rose after putting the matter for further consideration on February 4, the lawyers shouted 'shame shame.'

The petitions were filed before the Delhi High Court after the Supreme Court had on December 17 asked the Alumni Association of Jamia Millia University and others to approach the High Court concerned with their pleas for appointing a committee of retired judges to look into the matter, for ensuring adequate treatment to injured students and taking prior permission from the Vice-Chancellor before initiating any action against the agitating students.

Delhi Police had named seven persons, including former MLA Asif Khan and three student leaders of Jamia in its FIR, for the violence during the Sunday protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, during which vehicles were torched and police posts were damaged.