The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the police to keep away from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus unless there is evidence of disruption of law and order, or in case of the varsity seeking assistance.
‘Students, not criminal’
The court said the university was not a place where the police is warranted. “They are students, not criminals,” it said, adding that the police will only enter the varsity campus if assistance is sought by JNU or after examining appropriate evidence.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru said this while disposing of the JNU administration’s plea for police protection for varsity officials so that they can enter the administrative block at the time of protests by the students.
Administrative block
JNU had alleged that no one was able to enter the administrative block building during regular agitations carried out by the students in protest against the university’s policy decisions.
The university, through its lawyers Monika Arora and Harsh Ahuja, said the JNU staff and JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) leaders be asked not to protest within 200 metres of the administrative block and academic complexes as per academic rules. Taking note, the court asked JNU students not to protest within a 100-metre radius of the administrative block, which houses several offices, including that of the Vice-Chancellor.
It also observed that JNU had already earmarked a place for protest in the Sabarmati hostel lawns.
“Why near the administration block,” the court asked the JNUSU counsel.
To this, the counsel said they won’t be visible at site of protest. The court replied that protests were not for showing off. It further said that the university can for the time being install CCTV cameras only in and around the administrative block, where students stage protests, and the main gate. JNU had sought permission to install over 600 CCTVs in the wake of controversies involving students.
