Seven Left-wing students, including the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union Aishe Ghosh, and two students from the RSS-affiliated ABVP are among nine suspects named by Delhi Police investigating the 5 January violence in the university campus.
In a press conference, DCP Crime Branch Joy Tirki of the Delhi Police said the Crime Branch is investigating the criminal case and that as many as nine people, seven from Left including JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh and two from ABVP have been recognised through CCTV footage.
Tirki said this is an update on the findings of the investigation in the case so far and said since an institution and its students are involved, it is a sensitive case and requested that media to see it in "proper perspective".
The police revealed the sequence of events they found during investigations. The varsity decided to commence provisional registration online between 1 January and 5 January. Four groups who had been demanding that old problems be solved first started opposing this move. Investigations reveal that they were not letting students register and were threatening and intimidating the ones who had registered.
The protesting students started messing with the server and started shoving the on-duty staff out of the office, JNU authorities told investigators. This incident happened at 11.30 am on 5 January.
At 3.45 pm on the same day, Periyaar hostel was attacked.
WiFi had been disabled and so CCTV footage could not be used. As many as nine people have been identified through viral videos provided by students, authorities. People from JNUTA have helped the police and administration.
Vandals so far identified on CCTV:
1. Chunchun Kumar (Ex-student JNU)
2. Pankaj Mishra
3. Bhaskar Vijay
4. Aishe Ghosh
5. Sucheta Talukdar (JNU)
6. Priya Ranjan (Student)
7. Yogendra Bharadwaj
8. Dolan Samanta
9. Vikas Patel
Meanwhile, a delegation of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) meet with the MHRD Secretary Amit Khare. The JNUSU along with a few teachers of the JNUTA have demanded the removal of V-C M Jagadesh Kumar.
After the Delhi Police named her as one of the suspects, JNUSU president-elect Aishe Ghosh said, “What’s the proof against me?” She asserted that until and unless Delhi Police conducts a fair probe, she would continue to protest in a peaceful and democratic manner. “Delhi Police can do their inquiry. I also have evidence to show how I was attacked,” Ghosh said.
On January 5, some masked men with sticks and iron rods entered the JNU campus and launched an attack on students and teachers, they entered students' hostel and vandalised campus property. Several people, including JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, JNUSU General Secretary Satish Chandra and many teachers received grievous injuries.