Search by sniffer dogs on JNU campus yields ‘no clue’

Officers question relevance of operation 2 months after Najeeb went missing

NEW DELHI: The two-day long search operation by the Delhi Police with the help of sniffer dogs to trace missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed concluded on Tuesday with “no clue” emerging, the police said. Some officers even went on to question the relevance of the exercise two months after Najeeb went missing.

Too late?

A senior police officer, requesting anonymity, said that had this mammoth drive been conducted immediately after the student went missing, it could have helped the force trace him. On Tuesday, the Delhi Police resumed the search operation in the JNU campus, beginning the exercise two hours earlier than Monday with teams reaching the campus around 9 a.m..

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) G. Ram Gopal Naik, who supervised the operation, said the composition and number of personnel involved (600 staff and five dog squads) in the search remained the same.

Areas scanned again

Earlier, the police had said that 60 per cent of the campus had been scanned on Monday. However, some of the areas, including all the hostels, were searched on both days. “The primary emphasis was on open areas, the forested ones, the hillocks unlike Monday where we mostly visited the residential premises,” said Mr. Naik.

A team revisited Mahi-Mandavi hostel where Najeeb stayed and were assisted by sniffer dogs who were made to smell Najeeb's clothes. However, the dogs again could not even move out of the hostel premises.

“I showed them every corner of my room. The drama finally ended after 48-hours, it was presumed that the search operation after two months will never serve the purpose,” said a student in Mahi Mandavi hostel who knew Najeeb well.

Mr. Naik added that the teams had the full cooperation of JNU students and administration. Najeeb has been missing since October 15 after a scuffle at his hostel, allegedly with ABVP students on the night of October 14. A reward of Rs. 10 lakh has been announced by the Delhi Police for any information about him.

Lie detector test

PTI quoting police sources said a lie detector test on Najeeb’s roommate Qasim is likely on Wednesday after a permission for the same is obtained from the court.