With New Videos Of Stone-Throwers, Delhi Police Defends Jamia Crackdown

A fresh batch of videos from Jamia University have been cited by the Delhi Police as evidence that protesters responsible for the violence of December 15, had taken shelter in the university building where the library is located. The police have claimed that they entered the Jamia campus while giving chase to protesters who were responsible for the violence that day.

In a black and white video from a CCTV camera in one of the videos in the campus, people can be seen streaming into one of the buildings as the police throw tear gas shells. In the later part of the video, one of the shells lands on the street in front of the camera.  

Before that, a huge group is seen rushing into the building. Others keep running straight on. Some of the people from inside the building also rush out.

In videos cited by the police earlier, a huge group, some of them masked, could be seen rushing into the library.

The students have complained that the police had barged into the library that evening and beat up many students. They have also released a video to back up their claims, which showed policemen in riot gear entering and beating the students.

In response, police sources had released the videos showing people entering the library.

On the day of the event, the police had denied entering any library.

Senior police officer MS Randhawa said the police had entered areas where "tear gas was used". "It was an extraordinary situation," he had added, in a reference to rules that bar the police from entering any campus without the university authorities' approval.

The alleged police action in the library took place several hours after a protest march organised by the students against the Citizenship Amendment Act ended in a pitched battle. The police retaliated with batons and tear gas when the mob threw stones at them. By the end of it, three buses and several two wheelers were set ablaze, a fire tender was vandalized and two firemen were injured.

The police entry inside the campus without permission and their alleged subsequent action on students, became the subject of huge controversy. Before the night of December 15 was over, protests were held in several campuses, which spread further the next day.