Even two days after scores of masked goons armed with rods, sticks, stones and hammers unleashed brutal violence at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus here with impunity for hours ~ rampaging through the varsity and its hostels, smashing and vandalising things, and attacking students and teachers that left 34 injured ~ the Delhi Police has not been able to arrest a single perpetrator of this mayhem so far.

Delhi Police on Monday registered an FIR against unidentified people for rioting and damage to property in connection with the 5 January JNU violence. The case has been handed over to its Crime Branch.

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Meanwhile, it was learnt that the Delhi Police has registered an FIR against the JNU Students Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh and 19 others for allegedly attacking security guards and vandalising the varsity’s server room a day before the JNU campus violence, police said.

Ironically, Delhi Police registered this FIR against Aishe Ghosh on 5 January ~ the day she was herself brutally attacked by masked goons at the JNU campus due to which she sustained head injuries and had to be admitted to the AIIMS hospital.
Delhi Police registered two FIRs in connection with vandalism at the JNU server room on the complaint of the varsity administration on 5 January, according to police. The JNU administration had complained against the JNUSU office-bearers including Aishe Gosh in connection with this alleged vandalism.

Ghosh has rejected the complaint and the police case against them as false, unfounded and baseless.

Delhi Police also drew fire from various quarters for registering the case against the  “victims” of the 5 January violence rather than booking their attackers.

There were widespread allegations that police personnel watched the horror unfolding at the JNU campus like “mute spectators” and that they were even “complicit” in it.

Many JNU students, eyewitnesses and the Left-led JNUSU have charged that the masked attackers, who run riot at the JNU campus, are affiliated to the RSS’ students wing ABVP. The ABVP has alleged that those goons belong to the Left student bodies.

Delhi Police on Tuesday issued a public appeal seeking pictures, footage or any information related to the JNU campus violence even as forensic teams looked for evidence.

The teams from physics, chemistry and biology divisions of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) reportedly visited the JNU campus.

The physics team would collect evidence such as rods and stones used by the masked mob to assault students and teachers at the university while the chemistry team would collect samples of chemicals if any. The biology team would collect DNA samples among other evidence. A team of photo experts from the FSL also visited the campus.

Delhi Police has requested the FSL to also send a computer forensics team to analyse the CCTV footage which may visit the university on Wednesday.

“A Crime Branch team of Delhi Police is probing the case in a scientific and professional manner and evidence is being collected,” Anil Mittal, a Delhi Police spokesperson, reportedly said.

The special investigation team (SIT) of the Crime Branch probing the case is headed by Joy Tirkey.

Joint Commissioner of Police (western range) Shalini Singh, who is heading a fact-finding committee to probe the incident, was also said to have visited the JNU campus. Singh visited various spots on the campus and interacted with students and teachers.

The Crime Branch issued a public appeal urging “all those who are witnesses to the incident or have any information about the incident or have captured any activity on their mobile phones or camera” to “come forward and give their statements/footage/picture in their possession to the SIT”.

Security has been tightened in and around the campus. Massive contingents of police personnel have been deployed there. Police have barricaded the gates and only visitors with valid identity cards are being allowed entry into the campus.

The Crime Branch is scanning the CCTV footage of the incident besides checking related material and videos circulating on social media and WhatsApp.

Meanwhile, a fringe right-wing group, Hindu Raksha Dal, has reportedly taken responsibility for the JNU violence in a video posted on social media.

The video purportedly shows a man identifying himself as Pinki Chaudhary and saying that those who resort to “anti-national activities” will be treated in the same way that the JNU students and faculty were attacked.

He later told news channels that others involved in “anti-national activities” will face similar attacks. There was no reaction from the police on his claims.