14 Students at Jamia Detained for Protest Against Disciplinary Action

Fourteen students from Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) were detained by the Delhi Police early on Thursday, three days into a protest against show-cause notices handed to some students by the university.

- Aheli Das and Hemani Bhandari

NEW DELHI: The alleged showdown took place around five hours after six students were suspended by the varsity for "vandalising" university property.

The JMI administration, in a statement, accused protesters of "vandalising university property including the central canteen, breaking the gate of the security advisor's (office), defacing walls, and carrying contraband objects". It said the students were removed as a preventive measure, and police were asked to maintain order. "Taking preventive measures, today morning the university administration and the Proctorial team removed the students from the site of the protest, and they have been evicted from the campus. The police have been requested to maintain law and order situation," it said. The university claimed that police personnel did not enter the campus.

On Thursday evening, security guards stationed outside Gate 7 checked identity cards, allowing only authorised students inside. At least three students that HT spoke to alleged that their phones were snatched by police personnel, and that they were manhandled at police stations - Bawana, Badarpur and Fatehpur Beri.