Fourteen students from Jawaharlal Nehru University were arrested following a protest march that escalated into violent clashes with Delhi Police on 26 February 2026. The demonstration, led by the JNU Students’ Union, resulted in injuries to both police personnel and students. The arrested individuals included current and former union office bearers. An FIR was registered at Vasant Kunj North Police Station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
According to The Hindu, those arrested included JNUSU president Aditi Mishra, vice-president Gopika Babu, former president Nitish Kumar, and joint secretary Danish Ali. The charges filed against them included assault or criminal force, obstructing a public servant, and voluntarily causing hurt.
As reported by Hindustan Times, all 14 arrested students were granted bail by a Delhi court the following morning. The protest, which began as a “Long March” towards the Ministry of Education, was halted at the JNU main gate, leading to a confrontation after students broke through police barricades.
As highlighted by The Indian Express, the university administration had denied permission for the protest outside campus premises. Despite this, approximately 400 to 500 students gathered and attempted to march, resulting in the deployment of heavy police presence and the use of barricades at the main gate.
Police stated that the protest turned violent when students allegedly damaged barricades, hurled banners, sticks, and shoes, and physically assaulted officers, including biting some personnel as coverage revealed. Several police officers, including senior personnel, sustained injuries during the incident.
“The barricades were damaged and the protest became violent. Protesters allegedly hurled banners, sticks and shoes, and some went ‘to the extent of physically assaulting by biting’ police personnel,” police said in a statement.
Student groups, however, accused the police of using excessive force and alleged that some students were taken to undisclosed locations without medical assistance following statements from both sides. The JNU Students’ Union demanded the immediate release of all detained students and called for the resignation of the vice-chancellor.
During the protest, demonstrators also raised issues such as the revocation of rustication orders against certain students, implementation of University Grants Commission Equity Regulations 2026, and increased funding for public institutions as analysis showed. The protest was also a response to alleged casteist remarks made by the vice-chancellor in a recent podcast interview.
The university administration maintained that the UGC regulations could not be implemented due to a Supreme Court stay and accused the student union of diverting attention from earlier incidents of vandalism on campus as reporting indicated. The administration described the attacks on the vice-chancellor as an attempt to deflect from the issue of property damage.
“JNUSU until today has refused to address the core issue of their rustication, which is the issue of vandalism and violence against public property unleashed inside campus,” the university stated.
The JNU Teachers’ Association condemned the police action, alleging that women students were among those injured and expressing concern about the safety and whereabouts of those detained at the end of the day. The association called for the immediate release of all detained students and criticised the use of force against peaceful demonstrators.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.