Fact-finding team reveals ‘police brutalities’ at AMU

NEW DELHI: A fact-finding team consisting of human right activists, lawyers, journalists and professors on Tuesday revealed reports of violent attacks on students by police and RAF personnel on the campus of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). The team led by ex-indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Harsh Mander had reached AMU on December 17, two days post the alleged violence took place inside the campus.

The same day that Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) witnessed alleged police brutality inside its university campus, where scores of students were injured, AMU was witnessing the same scenario, however, the team claims the scene at the university was much worse.

Addressing the media, Mander said that by the time the team reached the campus on December 17, most of the students had left. “We went to AMU to understand what happened on December 15, but in this short period of time, the university had cleared out 1000 students. It was clear that the admin didn't want them around. But by the time we reached most of the students had left,” he added.

The report has blamed the university administration, district authorities and the police for failing at their duty. The report titled, “The Siege of Aligarh Muslim University”, prepared by the Karwan-eMohabbat and Indian Cultural Forum stated that the students were not violent as the investigators claimed they could not find any evidence of violence from the students' side.

The team in its report stated that they met with nearly 100 students of faculty, students, doctors and several members of the university admin, including the registrar. However, as the VC was “out of station” they couldn't communicate with her. “I have never seen anything as I saw at AMU,” added Mander.

According to the report, a student's palm had been blown off by a “lethal missile fired by the police.” “Doctors amputated his hand to save his life. His main concern at this point was how he would break this news to his mother, and if she would survive it,” said the report.

According to the report, confirmation of tear gas shells, sound bombs, rubber bullets, stun grenades, and lathis were used on students.

On being asked by the Millennium Post what did the doctors' report say regarding that day, Mander said, “We are told that about 19 ambulances went to the university, but they were not allowed to enter. Even in a war zone, ambulances are not stopped. Also, many injured students refused to get checked as they thought their names would come out and they would be harassed.”