AMU student leader held for clash with cops last December

Aligarh Additional SP (Crime) Arvind Chauhan said the 23-year-old was arrested for his alleged role in a clash between police and AMU students in December last year.

“He was wanted in more than one case registered at Civil Lines police station in Aligarh for incidents on AMU campus in December last year. He is accused of instigating students to attack police. He is also accused of pelting stones at police personnel. He has been booked under several IPC sections, including 307 (attempt to murder),” said Chauhan.

On December 15 last year, a clash occurred between students and police after which the police had entered the AMU campus, allegedly lobbing teargas shells inside hostel rooms, dragging students out and beating them.

AMU students were protesting against alleged police brutality on students of Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi.

On Thursday evening, SHO, Civil Lines, Pramendra Kumar, said Usmani was sent to jail for 14 days after he was presented in the CJM court.

“He was arrested by a joint team of Aligarh police and Anti-Terrorism squad (ATS) from Azamgarh on Wednesday evening,” said the SHO.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Sharjeel’s father Tariq Usmani alleged that the police did not let them know about his son’s whereabouts for 24 hours.

According to his family, Sharjeel was staying at his maternal uncle’s house for some time.

“Around 6 pm on Wednesday, he was picked up by five-six people in plain clothes from a tea stall where he had gone with some of his friends and a cousin. They handcuffed him and put him in a vehicle and did not tell us where they were taking him. A couple of hours later, two people came and took away his laptop and a set of clothes. They also photographed everyone in the house, including women and asked about their relation with my son,” said Tariq.

“For 24 hours, we frequently kept asking police where he is, but they did not tell us anything. Today, at 6 pm, I got a call from an Aligarh policeman that he has been sent to jail for 14 days,” he said.

Sharjeel had participated in the anti-CAA protests in Delhi and Aligarh last year, police sources said.

Additional Director-General, UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Dhruva Kant Thakur, confirmed that an ATS team assisted the Aligarh police in nabbing Sharjeel.

“An Aligarh police inspector had gone to arrest him, but it was not confirmed if he was there. So, he had not travelled with a full police team. But once he got to know he is there, so he sought our help as our team was stationed in Azamgarh, we assisted Aligarh police. Then, later their personnel came and took him to Aligarh,” said Thakur.