The Jawaharlal Nehru University administration on Tuesday approached the Delhi High Court seeking contempt action against its “students” and the Delhi Police for violating a court order against holding a protest within 100 metres of the varsity’s administrative block.
According to the reports, the JNU administration has stated that the protesting students had grossly violated the August 9, 2017, order of the high court by holding a protest within 100 metres of the administrative block and disrupting its day-to-day working.
The university also added that the Delhi police also violated the court order by refusing and failing to take action to maintain law and order in the university and removing the blockade around the administrative block.
The central government filed the petition on behalf of JNU, seeking direction to issue contempt notice against the students and Delhi Police and also demanded punishment in accordance with the Contempt of Courts Act for alleged wilful disobedience of the court order.
Senior standing counsel Monika Arora, representing the varsity also sought direction to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik to provide assistance to the JNU in controlling the ongoing and any future contemptuous acts of the students and their leaders and removing them from within 100 metres of the administrative block.
Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police had registered two FIRs in connection with Monday’s protest march. Reportedly, the Delhi Police had registered FIR against unknown protestors for allegedly violating prohibitory orders, obstructing police officers from discharging duties, and causing hurt.
The second FIR was filed for the alleged damage caused to public property at Aurobindo Marg in South Delhi. According to the police, almost 30 police personnel and 15 students were injured during the eight-hour protest.
The case has been filed under IPC sections 147 – punishment for rioting, Section 148 – rioting, armed with deadly weapon, Section 149 – every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object, Section 151 – knowingly joining or continuing in assembly of five or more persons after it has been commanded to disperse, Section 34 – acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention and Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
The violent protests had erupted in JNU after the university administration had introduced fees for utility services like water and electricity on an actual basis, and a fixed charge of Rs 1700 per month for services like sanitation, maintenance, cook etc.
The room rent was also increased from ₹20 to ₹600 for single-seater and from Rs 10 to Rs 300 for double seater. One time security which is refundable had gone up from Rs 5,500 to Rs 12,000 and the students have been protesting against it.
Following the violent protests, the JNU administration had announced a ‘major rollback’ in the hostel fee hike. Despite the rollback, the JNU goons had resorted to shocking vandalism during the protest and had desecrated the soon-to-be inaugurated statue of Swami Vivekananda on campus shocking citizens across the country.