'Barbaric' beatings in Jamia by police, allege students

"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 injured 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 Delhi Transport Corporation buses, 100 private vehicles and 10 police bikes were damaged.

For Mohammad Mustafa, an MBA student in Jamia, who recalled the "beatings" he received at the hands of the police said that he was studying in the library along with 25 others, including around 10-12 girls.

"I was beaten mercilessly and I fell unconscious. I was taken to New Friends Colony police station, they made us sit on the cold floor. I was not given any treatment although I felt like I was going to die," Mustafa alleged as he spoke to the media.

Many in the group alleged that the most "barbaric" attack was in the library of the varsity in which most students were injured. They alleged that the police used brutal force on them.

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

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 National Security Act will be imposed on them, he further alleged.

Farha Naqvi, women rights activist, alleged that the police refused to give details of detained or injured students to their parents and two students undergoing treatment at Holy Family hospital were picked up and taken by police to Kalkaji police station on Sunday.

The police had on Sunday had detained around 50 students, but released them late into the night.

Rahir Musaf, a psychology student at Jamia alleged that the students had been threatened by the police against going public with their stories, saying that their family members would be booked if they did.

"My friend suffered bullet injuries and is still in critical condition. It was such a war zone that day that I told my mom that I won't survive", he said, adding that they took shelter in a nearby house.

"There too policemen landed up and threatened the old couple who had let us into their house," alleged Rahila, another Jamia student.