Aligarh: Unable to find any evidence against them after examining around 40 videos, the Aligarh police decided to drop sedition charge against 14 AMU students. It must be noted that 14 students including the current and former office-bearers of the Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union (AMUSU) were booked on sedition charges after they had had an altercation with journalists of a TV channel. They were accused of raising anti-national slogans on the campus on February 12. However, no such evidence was found in the 40 videos collected from various media.
Indian Express has quoted Ashutosh Dwivedi, additional superintendent of police, city (Aligarh) as saying “We have so far not found any proof of sedition while analysing around 40 video footages of the incident. Some of the video footages were obtained from media houses. Hence, we decided to drop the sedition charge from the case. A police team is verifying other charges mentioned in the FIR.”
Interestingly no complaint has been filed against BJYM leaders who on February 12 held a protest against a planned visit of AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi. However, AMU has suspended its eight students citing indiscipline and misconduct.
AMU administration formed a three-member committee headed by deputy proctor, Professor Rashid Umar, to probe into the incident over which two more FIRs have been filed.
On February 12 AMU students allegedly had an altercation with the journalists of a news channel. The students and Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers clashed outside the campus, leading to arson and damage of vehicles. 14 students were booked on sedition charges on the complaint of Mukesh Lodhi, BJYM Aligarh district president.