Delhi police said it searched about 70 per cent of the JNU campus today for Najeeb Ahmed.
More than six hundred Delhi Police personnel assisted by sniffer dogs searched the Jawaharlal Nehru University or JNU campus today to search for clues that could help them trace MSc student Najeeb Ahmed, who has been missing for over two months now. The Delhi Police began its search around 11am 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 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," said a senior police officer.
About 65-70 per cent of the campus was covered today and rest, including the residential areas and the interiors of the campus, will be scanned tomorrow, 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 Ahmed has been missing since October 15, after a scuffle in his hostel allegedly with ABVP students on the night of October 14. A reward of Rs 10 lakh has been announced by Delhi Police on any information about Najeeb Ahmed.
His 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 the police to bring back my son and I will take him home from here," she said.
The 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 help of sniffer dogs.
The JNU Students Union (JNUSU) which was asked by the court to furnish affidavit regarding its cooperation with police also expressed dissatisfaction with it.
"65 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" to the court order, the students union charged it of indulging in "absurd exercises with "clueless methodology.
"Now to save their face in front of the court they are doing absurd exercises with clueless methodology," said the statement.
"The police is searching JNU campus right now and JNUSU will cooperate with them but this has been already communicated that they have to avoid "disturbances" to students, teachers and staff," it said.
JNUSU also warned that if the police search caused "disturbance" then 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. Because 'our' VC is not separate from students & staff of JNU.
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 its first time that such a huge number of policemen have come on 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.
Najeeb had disappeared following a scuffle at his hostel allegedly with ABVP students on the night of October 14. The JNU administration in its probe has identified four students who were involved in the scuffle and directed for their transfer to other hostels.
A reward of Rs 10 lakh has been announced by Delhi Police on any information about Najeeb and Crime Branch is trying to trace him.