In a significant development, the Delhi High Court on Monday allowed the CBI to file a closure report on the missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed. Najeeb has been missing for nearly two years.
“We have taken a decision to file a report under section 169 (release of accused when evidence is deficient) of the CrPC. We have completed the investigation. We did not want to file a closure report before the trial court without bringing it to the knowledge of this court. The court may dispose of the petition today after which we will file the closure report before the magistrate and the petitioner may file a protest petition there, if they wish to,” CBI’s counsel Nikhil Goel was quoted by PTI as saying.
Najeeb’s mother, Fatima Nafees, who’s been relentlessly seeking justice for her son, said that the security agencies had misled the court.
“It’s been two years. I had high hopes from the court but we didn’t move even an inch. Security agencies misguided the court. We’ll go to the Supreme Court. All that is happening since last two years is being done under the pressure by those sitting in power,” Fatima Nafees, mother of Najeeb Ahmed, was quoted by news agency ANI.
Student leader and former JNU student, Umar Khalid, tweeted, “Complete travesty of justice. CBI closed the case without even once interrogating in custody ABVP goons. This is time to extend complete solidarity to Fatima Nafees, who is going to challenge it in Supreme Court.”
Najeeb had gone missing on 15 October 2016 following an on-campus scuffle allegedly with ABVP members the night before. Last year, an SIT was formed to trace the missing student following an instruction from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to the Delhi Police Commissioner.
The Delhi Police had even announce Rs 10 lakh cash reward for anyone, who could provide information on his whereabouts.