Disappearance of Najeeb Ahmed

Najeeb Ahmed was a first year M.Sc Biotechnology student at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India who went missing under suspicious circumstances on 15 October 2016 from his hostel in the university campus.[2][3][4]

Najeeb Ahmed
Disappeared15 October 2016 (age 27)
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
StatusCase closed by CBI. No progress made. (Missing for 3 years, 9 months and 30 days)
NationalityIndian
EducationM.Sc (Biotechnology)
Parents
  • Nafees Ahmed (father)
  • Fatima Nafis[1] (mother)
"Where is Najeeb" graffiti in front of Central Bureau of Investigation headquarters, New Delhi. (The CBI headquarters is on the opposite side of the road, not pictured.)

Disappearance

Najeeb was a newly enrolled student at JNU and had resided at the Mahi-Mandavi hostel in JNU campus for less than a week before he disappeared. His family and the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) have consistently maintained that Najeeb's disappearance was linked to the assault on him the previous night; accordingly they have demanded that the investigating agencies probe the link between the assault and the disappearance.[5] Najeeb's mother Fatima Nafees filed a habeas corpus petition on 25 November 2016 before the Delhi High Court after the Delhi Police had failed to make any headway in the case a month after her son's disappearance.

Investigation

The Police had filed an FIR for kidnapping and wrongful confinement based on Najeeb's mother Fatima Nafees' complaint on 15 October 2016.[6] Premier investigative agencies in the country such as a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Delhi Police, the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police and now the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have been unable to find any leads into his disappearance. All these agencies have been reprimanded by the Delhi High Court at different points for their shoddy investigation into the case.[7][8] The Delhi police spent approx. Rs 24 Lakhs for advertising Najeeb’s disappearance.[9]

After 25 days, the investigation was transferred to the Crime Branch. CCTV footage was found that led the investigators to identify the auto rickshaw that Najeeb reportedly took from the JNU campus.[10] The mobile phones of the nine ABVP accused were sent by the CBI to the Forensic Science Laboratory in Chandigarh. Nearly 122 gigabytes of data was extracted from six of the phones, however the data did not reveal any relevant information.

On 29 June 2017, the CBI announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh (Rs 1 million) for information about Najeeb Ahmed.[11]

The CBI, which was investigating Najeeb's disappearance, in one of their submissions to the Delhi High Court, stated that the Delhi Police had forced a false statement by an auto driver that he had driven Najeeb to Jamia Milia Islamia on the day of his disappearance.[12] The Delhi Police had used this fabricated evidence to pursue a theory that Najeeb had left the campus on his own volition.[13] It had also used Najeeb's medical history to assert that he was mentally disturbed.[14][15] After being unable to prove any connection between his medical condition and his disappearance, the Delhi Police quietly dropped this line of investigation.[16]

His mother Fatima Nafees issued legal notices to prominent publications including Times of India, Times Now, Zee News, etc for falsely reporting that Najeeb Ahmed has ISIS connections or had left to join ISIS.[17]

The court asked the CBI in May 2019 whether Najeeb is alive or dead. CBI responded that Najeeb was last time seen with his friend and he has been kept hidden. His mother Fatima opposed the statement and demanded a hearing.[18]

Role of JNU Administration

The Jawaharlal Nehru University administration was accused of partisanship and inaction to protect Najeeb's assaulters by the JNU student community, which blockaded the administration block for 20 hours on 23 October 2016.[19] The administration had issued circulars calling Najeeb an accused which had angered students on campus. After it issued a 25-point bulletin on Najeeb where it did not mention his assault the night before, the JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) blamed the administration for their apathy and bias in handling the issue [20] and criticized the bulletin released by the university for 'selectively omitting' the fact that Ahmed was attacked during a brawl a night before.[21] Najeeb Ahmed's mother Fatima Nafees also accused the JNU administration of insensitivity.[22]

Activism by mother Fatima Nafees

Fatima Nafees has frequently joined activists in protests against the central government and the JNU administration. She joined Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) in the Light a Ray of Hope for Najeeb protest in 2016 [23] She addressed a campaign by Jamaat-e-Islami's student organization SIO at Press Club Of India on 22 March 2017. She inaugurated an exhibitaion by SIO in Malappuram in 2018.[24] She joined Kavitha lankesh, Professor Apoorvaand, Shaista Parveen, in a public meeting in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for the third anniversary of Najeeb's disappearance joining BSP MP Danish Ali, author Arundhati Roy, Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan, St. Stephen’s College professor Nandita Narain in 2019.[25] She joined N Sai Balaji, the National President of All India Students' Association (AISA) at JNU on 23 Nov 2019.[26] She campaigned for Kanhaiya Kumar in Begusarai during the 2019 parliamentaly elections.[27] She joined Nadeem Khan of "United Against Hate", who is also an Asst Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami, at a press conference on OCTOBER 4, 2019.[28] The Delhi Wakf Board, headed by Amanatullah Khan, who is also an AAP MLA, gave her Rs 5 lakh and provided a job to his other son.[29]

See also

References
  1. Bhandari, Hemani (9 October 2017). "Waiting for 'JNU boy' Najeeb Ahmed, who went missing without a trace in 2016". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  2. Wahab, HIsham ul (19 October 2016). "Najeeb Ahmed Kidnapped from JNU Campus: Admin and Police keep mum". Muslim Mirror. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  3. "Probe finds ABVP member guilty of assaulting Najeeb". The Hindu. 21 November 2016. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  4. "'Will Send Najeeb to 72 Virgins': JNU Student Recalls Mob's Threat". The Quint. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  5. "Bring Back Najeeb". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  6. "JNU student claims that attempts were made to kill the missing student Najeeb". The Indian Express. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  7. "Court raps police for shoddy Najeeb Ahmed probe - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  8. "Delhi High Court scolds CBI over inaction in Najeeb case". dna. 17 October 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  9. Younus (11 January 2019). "Delhi Police spent approx. Rs 24 Lakhs for Najeeb's advertisement". Siasat Daily. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  10. Inside story of the hunt for Najeeb Ahmed, the JNU student who disappeared into thin air, ANANYA BHARDWAJ and KRITIKA SHARMA, The Print, 13 October 2018
  11. CBI’s Rs 10 lakh reward for information on JNU student, Two Circles, 29 June 2017
  12. "Cops forced auto driver to say he dropped JNU student Najeeb Ahmed at Jamia: CBI in High Court". The Indian Express. 14 November 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  13. "Delhi police traces auto driver who ferried missing JNU student Najeeb". 16 November 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  14. "Police Claim Najeeb Was 'Mentally Disturbed' As Family Moves Court". HuffPost India. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  15. "Najeeb Was Not Mentally Disturbed: Missing JNU Student's Brother". The Quint. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  16. "CBI Ends Search For JNU Student Najeeb Ahmed, Missing For 2 Years". NDTV.com. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  17. Fatima Nafees issues legal notice to Times of India, Times Now, Zee News, etc. for false reportage on Najeeb, TCN News, 7 April 2017
  18. Is Najeeb Ahmed alive or dead? Court asks CBI, RASIA HASHMI, Siasat daily, MAY 16, 2019
  19. ScoopWhoop (20 October 2016). "After A 20-Hour Stand-Off Over Missing Student, JNU Vice Chancellor Allowed To Go". ScoopWhoop. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  20. "Continued Absence of Najeeb Ahmad—Letter to the Editor". Economic and Political Weekly. 50 (23). 5 June 2015.
  21. "Missing student: JNU teachers' association slams varsity administration for its 25-point bulletin - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  22. "Missing student: Najeeb Ahmad's family slams police, JNU admin". The Indian Express. 28 October 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  23. JNU to have sombre Diwali with sit-in, prayers for Najeeb, 30 October 2016
  24. SIO and GIO hold state conference in Kerala; Fatima Nafees attends, Najiya O, TwoCircles.net, 28 December 2018
  25. Proud of Being Known As Najeeb Ahmed’s Mother, Says Fatima Nafis, POORVI GUPTA, OCTOBER 16, 2019
  26. Najeeb's mother 'Ammi' visits protesting students at JNU, lends her support, Prajanma Das, EDEX Live, 21 November 2019
  27. Najeeb’s mother to campaign for Kanhaiya in Begusarai, Times of india, 9 April 2019
  28. Campaign to begin demanding justice for Najeeb, Subodh, Sahil, ASIA HASHMI, Siasat Daily, OCTOBER 4, 2019
  29. Delhi Waqf Board gives Rs 5 lakh to family of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, Delhi Waqf Board gives Rs 5 lakh, job to family of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, New Indian Express, Sept 30, 2019
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