The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration has said composition of the high-level committee, probing the event on the commemoration of hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on February 9, is not going to change. The committee tried to communicate with the “absconding” seven students through written letters and appealed them to appear for questioning.
“letters have been sent twice to these seven students directing them to appear and now third communication would be made and if they do not respond, the committee will submit its recommendation on basis of evidence available,” a university official told The Pioneer.
The three-member committee investigating the event will give the report on basis of evidence available which includes “eye witnesses’ account”, “deposition made by students” and “material on hand”. “We have sent the communication to the Centres, permanent residences and hostels. Efforts are being made to contact them but if they fail to appear to help us in enquiring, we will give our report on February 25 based on the respective evidence,” the official added.
The JNUSU and JNUTA had asked the administration to add members of different centres, including dalits in the commitee considering “fair enquiry” but the university has refused it saying that “the three members have been selected from science backgrounds and did not represent any political ideology which was enough to have a fair enquiry.”
“We have full faith in the committee constituted by us as it includes senior professors who will come up with a detailed and fair report. There is no question of adding more members or changing its composition,” said JNU VC M Jagadesh Kumar.
After the February 9 event, the JNUSU President, Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on charges of “sedition and criminal conspiracy.” Since then the JNUSU has been on a continuous protest demanding his release while the other seven students who were debarred by the university have been absconding.