The police entered the Jamia campus and detained nearly 100. They were released on Monday.
The Supreme Court has declined to initiate a judicial probe into the police action during the protests by the students of Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday evening during protests against the citizenship law. A high court can appoint committees for fact-finding, the top court said today, asking the petitioners to approach the high courts.
"We don't want to spend time knowing facts, you should go to courts below first," said the bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde.
Lawyers Indira Jaising, Colin Gonsalves, Mehmood Pracha, Sanjay Hedge and other had requested the top court to look into the violence against students and send retired judges to the two universities to investigate what went down.
Yesterday, Chief Justice Bobde said the "rioting" must stop and there should be peace. "Why was property destroyed? Buses are burnt. We will take cognisance and decide in peaceful frame of mind. Whoever started rioting, let them stop first," said Justice Bobde.
The police in Delhi and Aligarh have been accused of using excessive force during student protests that turned violent at the two universities on Sunday evening.
The police barged into the Jamia campus, rounded up students and detained nearly 100 students. They were accused of beating and abusing students. The Jamia students were released after a massive show of strength by students outside the Delhi Police Headquarters all through Sunday night.
Protests by students and others have erupted across the country over the new citizenship law that makes it easier for non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to become Indian citizens. Critics say the law discriminates against Muslims and is against secular principles of the constitution.