New Delhi: Some students of the Jamia Millia Islamia University have allegedly assaulted a fellow female student so bad that she had to be hospitalised on Thursday, February 7 night. The incident has triggered a protest against the University administration’s failure to provide safety in the campus.
The students of Fine Arts have been protesting against the Head of the Department of Applied Arts, Hafeez Ahmed since February 1, accusing him of sexual harassment, intimidating the students and regionalism.
Students of the University had decided to hold a protest against the lack of faculty members in January this year. Firdaus, an undergraduate student of Applied Arts department said, “We have nine subjects and just one faculty member.”
HoD Hafeez Ahmed has reportedly warned the students against holding the protest. Dhruv, another student of the department said, “He called me to his office on January 31 and threatened me. He even told me that he would rusticate me and get me beaten up if we continued the protest.”
Dhruv alleges that he was thrashed that evening by a few men sent by the HoD. “They asked me if I was the one organising the protest and then started beating me,” he said.
While the protesting students were on their way to the faculty of Fine Arts to talk to the HoD, on Thursday, they were confronted by the students on Hafeez Ahmed’s side. During the scuffle, some female students were allegedly assaulted. When a female student tried to avoid any further escalations, she was allegedly grabbed by her collar and groped.
“We called the PCR to file a complaint but the university administration intervened and stopped us from doing so,” says Manish, a student of Fine Arts.
However, sources from the administration say that the erring students have been suspended and the HOD has also been sent on a leave.
Ahmad Azeem, a spokesperson for the university said, “We are looking into the grievances of the students. Action will be taken after the enquiry is completed.”
