Jamia committee releases video of December 15 police brutality on students at campus library

The Jamia Coordination Committee on Sunday (February 16) released a video which shows paramilitary and police personnel entering the University library and beating up the students. The video has drawn sharp reactions from several political leaders, who have condemned the severe police action on students.

The video shows around seven to eight paramilitary and police personnel entering the Old Reading Hall and beating up students with batons. The paramilitary and police personnel are seen covering their faces with handkerchiefs.

The CCTV video is purported to be of the same day when students of Jamia Millia Islamia had alleged police brutality against the students on campus. On December 15 2019, the police had entered the university campus to look for outsiders who were accused of violence during a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

The video was released by the Jamia Coordination Committee, a group comprising of JMI students and alumni. The group was formed after the campus incident on December 15. They said they received the video from an "anonymous" source.

The committee also said that video footage has been shared with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), who may initiate a probe on the incident.

The university, however, clarified that the video was not released by it even as the police said they will examine the footage.

"It has come to our notice that some video with regard to police brutality in Dr Zakir Husain Library of the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) is in circulation. This is to clarify that the video has not been released by the university," the institute's public relations officer Ahmad Azeem said.

According to the public relations officer, the JCC is spearheading the stir against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens on the Maulana Mohammed Ali Jauhar Road outside the university's gate number seven.

"This is to clarify that JCC is not an official body of the university. Any communication from JCC should not be taken as version of the university," Azeem said.

On December 15 2019, anti-CAA agitators had set ablaze four buses near New Friends Colony, which left six policemen and two fire brigade personnel injured. Locals of the Sarai Julena area in Jamia Nagar had allegedly clashed with police. The situation was brought under control when the police got into action and several Jamia students were left injured in the clash.