More than six hundred Delhi Police personnel assisted by sniffer dogs scanned the inhabited and forested areas of the sprawling JNU campus on Monday to search for clues that could help them trace MSc student Najeeb Ahmed, who has been missing for over two months now.
The men and women of Delhi Police began their search around 11 am under the supervision of DCP (Crime Branch) G Ram Gopal Naik. A team visited Mahi-Mandvi hostel where Najeeb stayed and took help of sniffer dogs who smelled Najeeb's clothes.
The sniffer dogs failed to make any headway and stopped after circling around in the hostel.
All agencies of Delhi Police including Special Cell, Special Branch and the local police pooling more than 600 personnel scanned the hostels, residential areas, academic blocks and forested area today till 5 pm. Help of Mounted Police was also taken to scan the vast area but nothing was found.Senior Police Officer
About 65-70 percent of the campus was covered and rest including the residential areas and the interiors of the campus will be scanned on Tuesday, he said.
The exercise is being undertaken by 12 ACPs, 30 inspectors and 60 sub inspectors along with hundreds of constables under monitoring of two DCP rank officers.
Najeeb has been missing since 15 October after a scuffle at his hostel allegedly with ABVP students on the night of 14 October. A reward of Rs 10 lakh has been announced by Delhi Police for any information about him.
Najeeb's mother Fatima Nafees who was present at the hostel termed the police search "too late" and "futile".
They should have carried out this search immediately after Najeeb went missing. But now, it’s of no use. I appeal to police to bring back my son and I will take him home from here.Fatima Nafees
The massive search was mounted following a Delhi High Court order last week directing Delhi Police to scan the entire JNU campus including hostels, classrooms as well as rooftops of the buildings with the help of sniffer dogs.
The JNU Students Union (JNUSU) which was asked by court to furnish an affidavit regarding its cooperation with police also expressed dissatisfaction with it.
"Sixty five days of Najeeb's disappearance, what did Delhi Police do? In last 3 hearings in the court, counsel for crime branch himself accepted that there has been delay by Delhi Police in searching Najeeb," said a JNUSU statement.
Accusing Delhi Police of "paying lip service" after court order, the students union charged it of indulging in "absurd exercises with clueless methodology”.
JNUSU warned that if the police search caused "disturbance" they will not be "entertained" on the campus.
The students union also extended its "suggestion" to police to search the Vice Chancellor's residence accompanied by students union leaders.
The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad(ABVP) said that they want police to leave no stone unturned in search of Najeeb but hit out at JNUSU and JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) for heavy presence of police on the campus.
"After 1983, it’s the first time that such a huge number of policemen have come in the campus. This is a result of directionless politics of JNUSU and JNUTA. Why are all those who earlier spoke against police presence on campus silent today?" said former JNUSU joint secretary and ABVP leader Saurabh Sharma.
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