Injured Jamia student files plea in HC seeking compensation

A Jamia Millia Islamia student approached the Delhi High Court Wednesday seeking compensation for injuries suffered by him allegedly in police action against anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protesters on December 15 last year.

The plea also sought direction to the authorities to register an FIR into the offences allegedly committed by the police forces.

The petition filed by Mohd Mustafa has sought that the authorities be directed to pay a compensation of at least Rs 1 crore for physical and mental losses suffered by him.

The plea, filed through advocate Nabila Hasan, sought direction for reimbursing the student the expenses of his medical treatment that he had already incurred including cost of travelling to hospitals.

It has arrayed the Delhi government, its departments of law and order and home as parties in the petition.

On February 17, another similar petition had come up for hearing before the high court which sought response of the Delhi government and police on the plea.

It was filed by Shayaan Mujeeb who contended that he was in the university library on December 15, 2019 studying, when police personnel entered the building and allegedly beat up the students there.

The court was initially of the view that the petitioner ought to have filed a civil suit if he was seeking compensation as the claims made by him would have to be proved through evidence which cannot be done in a writ petition.

Earlier, another student, Mohd Minhajuddin, had moved a plea seeking a probe into the incident and demanding compensation for injuries he suffered.

Minhajuddin, according to his plea, lost vision in one eye in the incident.

On December 15 last year, a protest against the CAA near Jamia turned violent, with demonstrators pelting stones at police and setting public buses and private vehicles on fire.

Police later entered the university, firing teargas shells and baton-charging students.