Fatima Nafees, the mother of missing Jawaharlal Nehru University student Najeeb Ahmed, on Tuesday welcomed the decision of the Delhi High Court to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“I will be leading a delegation to the CBI chief to seek a fair and swift investigation into the case,” said Ms. Nafees.
‘Botched-up probe’
Slamming the Delhi Police, she said they had in the last seven months delayed the recording of witnesses’ statements and not interrogated those who had assaulted Najeeb on the previous night of his disappearance. “The police linked Najeeb to the Islamic State (IS), causing us great anxiety and humiliation,” she said.
The JNU Students’ Union said there was nothing to suggest that Najeeb had searched about the IS and that the police were trying to sensationalise the matter and find an escape route.
“It will now be the responsibility of the CBI to plug such leaks and investigate the police personnel who planted this news [sic],” the JNUSU said in a statement.
‘Concrete result must’
The students also hoped that the CBI would come up with “some concrete result before the next hearing on July 17”.
JNUSU president Mohit Pandey said the CBI should be given a free hand to investigate the case. “We were demanding an independent inquiry monitored by the court. Even the CBI functions under the ambit of the Central government and can be influenced, as we have seen in several cases,” said Mr. Pandey.
Former JNUSU vice-president Shehla Rashid said the High Court had transferred the case to the CBI due to the “questionable and partisan role of the Delhi Police” in the probe.
