New Delhi: The Delhi Police rejected Monday charges of reaching the JNU campus late despite several pleas by the students’ union. They asserted that they responded to PCR calls and law-and-order situation professionally to bring things under control.
Under attack for not acting swiftly to prevent the violence Sunday, the police also dismissed the charge that they were mute spectators despite a small number of police personnel being present on the campus.
Talking to the media, Delhi Police spokesperson Mandeep Singh Randhawa said the force was deployed in the administrative block of the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the scuffle took place in an area far from the spot.
Randhawa said the internal security of the JNU lay with the varsity administration. “We have responded to PCR calls, and law-and-order situation professionally,” asserted Randhawa.
According to the spokesperson, calls received by the police around 5.00pm were from hostel areas away from the administrative block and it alerted them about a scuffle.
“We immediately responded to the calls and brought the situation under control. Normally, the police deployment is only at the administrative block of the varsity. The area where the scuffle took place was far from there,” the officer said.
Around 7.45pm, the officer said, the police received a request from the JNU administration, following which they went inside the university, conducted a flag march and brought the situation under control.
Earlier, JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh said she had contacted the Vasant Kunj North police station in-charge and also senior officers stating that a mob was assembling in the university.
JNUSU vice president Saket Moon has alleged that the police turned up after two hours, much after the mob left the campus.
“The police deployment is only at the administrative block of the varsity. The area where the scuffle took place was far from there,” Randhawa informed. He also said that a fact-finding committee has also been formed in connection with the incident which is being headed by Joint Commissioner of Police (Western Range) Shalini Singh, he said.
Police sources said that some of the people involved in the violence were from outside, but most of them were from the inside the university. However, the police are probing the matter.
According to police sources, there were a series of clashes Sunday. The first clash started at 11.00am, then another at 2.30pm, followed by a third one between 3-3.30pm before the violence escalated.
“All the CCTV footage of the incident is being collected and an investigation has been initiated into it. Crime Branch has constituted a separate team to probe the case,” the spokesperson said.
PTI
