Jamia Protests: Police cycled through multiple explanations for the injuries (File Photo)
Highlights
- Row over whether Delhi Police fired on protesters at Jamia
- 2 admitted at Safdarjung Hospital, third person at Holy Family Hospital
- Police say they were shrapnel injuries from tear-gas shells
A controversy has erupted over whether the Delhi Police fired on protestors at Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia university on Sunday. The university and its south-east Delhi neighbourhood was the scene of a violent showdown between the police and protesters opposing the new Citizenship Amendment Act that left dozens of students and cops injured.
The Medical Superintendent of Delhi's government-run Safdarjung Hospital told NDTV that two Jamia protesters were admitted with bullet injuries, directly contradicting claims by the police that they did not fire bullets at protesters.
Both are said to be out of danger.
NDTV traced one of them, Ajaz, 22, a BA student from Jamia University, admitted to a general ward at the hospital.
Two members of the Delhi Police were deputed in the ward to keep a watch on visitors.
Ajaz's family confirmed that he had been shot in the chest on Sunday evening. They said he had no role in the protests.
The police cycled through multiple explanations for the injuries, finally settling on the claim that these were caused by shrapnel injuries from tear-gas shells.
The police named the other injured person admitted to Safdarjung as Shoaib Khan, 23, who they said had "injury of pallets (sic)" in his leg.
The police later clarified that by pellet injuries, they meant injuries from tear gas shrapnel.
A cellphone video of Ajaz, purportedly filmed moments after he was shot does not show any tear gas in his vicinity.
Another viral video from the clashes, filmed in Delhi's Holy Family Hospital shows a third individual, Mohammed Tamin, showing what he claims is a bullet wound in his thigh.
Tamin's discharge report from the hospital, accessed by NDTV, says a "foreign body" was removed from his left thigh.
Under the section 'Medical History', it says "Sustained Gunshot Injury to Left Leg".
The top police official for Delhi's South East district, Chinmoy Biswal, in a statement said, "I hope we all understand the meaning of 'Alleged History of....' on a medical paper. It means what the patient has himself or herself told the duty doctor about the injury while coming for treatment."
The Director of the Holy Family Hospital in a statement said, "When the patient was brought to the hospital, the people accompanying him raised suspicion of a bullet injury. However, during treatment, no bullet wound was removed. It was a foreign body."
Speaking to NDTV, Tamin denied he was injured in tear gas firing. He says a policeman shot at him from close range.