Teen sent to 14-day protective custody for Jamia shooting

New Delhi: A day after a youth fired a pistol at a group of agitators, students of Jamia Millia Islamia on Friday gathered outside the gate of the varsity to stage a peaceful protest against the amended Citizenship Act.

The students carried posters that read “Stop Hate Speech, Safety really?, What’s in the name” and “Tamache Pe Disco, Jamia se Khisko”. Condemning the attack on students, the protesters said they were shocked when they saw the man emerge from the crowd and open fire in full public view amidst heavy police presence.

The shooter has been sent to 14-day protective custody and the police has urged Juvenile Justice Board to form a medical panel to conduct a bone ossification test of the shooter to ascertain his age.

The accused was presented before the Board on Friday afternoon afternoon, DCP (Crime) Rajesh Deo said. On Thursday, the accused fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring Jamia student Shadab Farooq, before walking away while waving the firearm above his head and shouting “Yeh lo aazadi” amid heavy police presence.  The Crime Branch is probing the case.

According to the Delhi police sources, the accused had procured the country-made pistol from his village and left for Delhi in a bus to take revenge for the death of Chandan Gupta. Gupta was killed in Kasganj violence on January 26.

The accused told interrogators of Delhi Police that over the past two years he started reading incendiary posts on social media.  He said that every day he would listen to speeches online and share offensive posts. In November 2019, he even took part in a protest in Jewar that was organised by the Bajrang Dal.

Sources in Delhi policesaid that the accused has denied having any connection or links with any organisation.

The Bajrang Dal on Friday said the shooter who opened fire at anti-citizenship law protesters in Jamia Nagar was not its member and condemned the “unfortunate” act.