N-E Delhi violence: Jamia student arrested, charged under UAPA

NEW DELHI: Asif Iqbal Tanha, a 24-year-old student of Jamia Millia Islamia has been arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with the violence in North East Delhi in February on Thursday. According to the Delhi Police Special Cell, action is being taken against Tanha under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the case.

The police claimed that Tanha played an active role in orchestrating the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

A member of Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC), Tanha was on Sunday arrested for the violence at Jamia on December 15 and sent to police custody for seven days. According to the FIR Tanha is remanded to police custody till May 27. "It is submitted that the PC remand of accused is required to unearth the entire conspiracy with respect to communal incidents in Delhi and to confront him with the electronic data collected during investigation," stated the FIR.

JCC members have called this a planned attack on the students of Jamia. "We are being targeted for raising our voices against what was wrong. Connecting us to Delhi riots is ridiculous and a plan to intimidate us," said a member of JCC, who didn't want to be named.

Another member said that JCC members are getting calls almost everyday by special cell. Asif, a student of BA (Persian) was associated with JCC, which organised protests in the capital against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Two JMI students Meeran Haider and Safoora Zargar are already in judicial custody in connection with the case registered against them in February. Zargar, an M.Phil. student of JMI, is over three months pregnant, was arrested by the Delhi Police's special cell on 10 April. She was later denied bail and, on 21 April, charged under the stringent UAPA.