The Delhi Police on Monday have detained two men who in a video which went viral on social media claimed responsibility for attack on JNU student Umar Khalid but police is yet to ascertain the involvement of the duo in the alleged incident.
The duo identified as Darwesh Shahpur and Naveen Dalal from Mandoti village near Rohtak in Haryana are currently being interrogated by the Delhi Police special cell. A team had also visited the village of Sikh revolutionary Kartar Singh Sarabha in ludhiana, Punjab where the two had said they would surrender on 17 August but they did not turn up. “We are interrogating the duo. Yet we cannot say their involvement in the crime,” said a police official.
In video which is uploaded on Facebook the duo had claimed that the attack to be a gift of Independence Day to citizens of the country. Calling Khalid and his associates a ‘Mad Dog’ the duo in video said that JNU gang is making the country weaker and their number is increasing day by day is a cause of concern as there is no provision in Constitution to punish mad dogs who favors ‘Afzal Guru’. “We urge Center Government to make a law to punish such ‘Mad Dogs’. Our elders have always said that us that ‘Mad Dogs’ should be taught a lesson,” said Shahpur in video adding further that they will surrender at the home and village of Sikh revolutionary Kartar Singh Sarabha on 17 August.
They said they attacked Khalid for their country. The incident of a gunshot last week that sparked a controversy when an unidentified man targeted JNU student leader Umar Khalid, who escaped unhurt was on last week Tuesday taken by the Delhi Police special cell.
Incidentally, the Special Cell is also probing a sedition case against Khalid and two other students.
The incident occurred around 2:30 pm at Constitutional Club area when Khalid had come to attend the programme named “Khauf se Azadi” (Freedom from Fear), organised by United Against Hate for which the organizer have not notified and taken any permission from the Delhi police. The event had featuring speakers such as lawyer Prashant Bhushan, Delhi University professor Apoorvanand and the late Rohith Vemula’s mother Radhika Vemula.
The police said that they were yet to ascertain whether shots were fired as no empty cartridges were found at the spot. A case of attempt to murder was registered by police.