Different versions of the incident by students clearly indicate polarisation among the student community at Maha Mandavi hostel.
A letter written to JNU Chief Proctor and senior warden, signed by 17 students, including JNU Students’ Union president Mohit Pandey, alleged that nine student’s, including —Vikrant Kumar and Ankit Kumar Roy, classmates in BA 3rd year (Russian), and Sunil Pratap Singh from BA 2nd year (German), Vijender Thakur, Aishwarya Singh, Sunil Pratap Singh, Pushpesh Jha, Abhijeet, Arnab Chakraborty and Santosh Kumar, physically assaulted Ahmad four times in the night.
“At the time of scuffle, Vikrant and Ankit called and mobilised a group of students (as mentioned) who attacked Ahmad ... The security locked Ahmad in his room to avoid further attack. When they opened the door to write the particulars of Ahmed, he was attacked by the same group with hand kadas... later Ankit attacked on his head and face..Vikrant kicked him with legs, Vijender attacked with his hand kada and others used fists and legs while we tried to save him in the presence of wardens,” alleged the 17 students.
Senior warden Dr Sushil Kumar and wardens Somyajit Ray and Arun Srivastava witnessed the Abhijeet’s “life threats to Ahmad,” claims the three-page letter.
“Sir, isko hamare hawale kar dijiye subah tak yeh zinda nahi rahega… (leave him to us, let us handle him. He will be dead by the morning),” are some of the threat quoted in the letter. An eyewitness residing in the hostel had earlier spoken to The Pioneer and alleged the same.
On October 14 night, in room no. 106 of Maha Mandavi hostel, only four students, including Ahmad’s roommate Qasim reportedabout the brawl in writing, except for Ahmad. All he wrote was “I don’t remember.”
“I am contesting for the post of mess secretary and my election campaign is today. I went to Ahmad’s room for the same where he took the pamphlet and slapped me twice by seeing my religious thread on my wrist and asked me why I was wearing it,” reads Vikrant’s application to the senior warden.
While talking to The Pioneer, Vikrant said, “There was nothing more to the conversation than what he wrote in the application”. He said it was an “unprovoked attack”. He said, “Ahmad was perfectly sane and had no psychological issues.”
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has supported the three students Vikrant, Ankit and Sunil. They have refuted all allegations against them.
Ankit complained about being discriminated without any enquiry. “JNU community looked at us as accused. We are being called murderers, mob-lynchers and kidnapperson the campus…”
The JNUSU has been protesting back-to-back in support of Ahmad, besides his family. All India Students’ Association (AISA) has accused ABVP of communalisation.
From Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, the campus has been abuzz with political activity over the missing student, yet there has been no clue about him.