Grab from video of police attacking students in the Jamia library on December 15, 2019.
The Delhi Police in their action taken report submitted before a Delhi court in connection with the violence at Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMI) have claimed that the police was constrained to enter the campus to contain the violence and save innocent students trapped inside.
Metropolitan Magistrate Rajat Goyal had directed the Delhi Police to file an action taken report on the plea of Jamia Millia Islamia University seeking registration of FIR against police action on students at the university in December.
The plea was filed by advocate Asghar Khan, who submitted that the Delhi Police mercilessly beat up University students, hurled racial abuses and made derogatory comments, and some police officers, without any just cause, broke open the main library gate and lobbed tear gas shells.
In their reply to the court, the Delhi Police submitted, “With a view to contain the violence and maintain, the law and order, the police was constrained to enter the university campus. The police personnel could successfully contain the violent activity by temporarily apprehending 52 persons under section 65 of the Delhi Police Act…It is submitted that the said action was required to be taken in light of the ongoing violence from within University campus and to rescue innocent students trapped inside and to ensure normalcy.”
JMI had submitted that despite several requests and various complaints to the police seeking registration of FIR and taking action against the accused person neither any FIR has been registered nor has any investigation been carried out whatsoever.
The police, in their reply stated that complaint of Registrar JMI is “generalized in nature and since the individuals have already filed Writs in the Hon’ble High court of Delhi seeking redressal of their general greivances. It is, therefore, requested that the present application may be kindly dismissed.”
The ATR also stated that the police could not identify between rioters who carried petrol bombs and trapped students. “All were asked to be evacuated with their ‘hands up’ since this exercise was undertaken as it was already dark in the late evening,” the report read.
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JMI submitted that there was huge loss to the government property and there was video and photographic evidence showing the police vandalising the university property.
The ATR stated that the “rioters had destroyed/damaged the lights within the University campus and therefore, it was difficult to distinguish (between) innocent students and rioters.”
Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.
Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.
Expertise and Reporting Beats
Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:
National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.
Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).
Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.
Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.
Professional Background
Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.
Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.
Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.
Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.
Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.
Digital & Professional Presence
Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express
Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More