Students Islamic Organisation seeks action against Najeeb's assaulters

The protestors, who included students from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Milia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), among others, were accompanied by Ahmed's mother Fateema Nafees.

New Delhi, Nov 21 Members of the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) of India held a protest march here on Monday demanding action against those who assaulted JNU scholar Najeeb Ahmed prior to his disappearance in October.

The protestors, who included students from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Milia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), among others, were accompanied by Ahmed's mother Fateema Nafees.

"We want JNU authorities to punish the three students -- Vikrant, Sunil and Ankit -- for assaulting Ahmed, a fact which has been acknowledged in the Proctorial inquiry as well," Sadat Hussain, an SIO member from JNU told IANS.

The Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) of India is the students' wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.

"We also condemn the police for still not being able to find Ahmed, who is missing for 36 days now," Hussain added.

Najeeb Ahmed, a first-year MSc student at the School of Biotechnology in JNU, reportedly went missing after allegedly being beaten up by some students comprising ABVP members, who had gone campaigning to his room for hostel elections on the intervening night of October 14-15.

A Proctorial Inquiry formed to identify the assailants had found at least one student named Vikrant to be guilty of assaulting Ahmed. He was served a show cause notice on November 7 and asked to reply within seven days.

Another student told IANS that apart from seeking justice for Najeeb, this protest is also against the changing face of the nation under the current dispensation.

"This protest is against fascist forces, against Una lynching and fake Bhopal encounter," he said.

The protestors marched from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar where Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, along with several other political leaders and members of civil society, was scheduled to address them.

IANS