9 years on, JNU still demands justice for missing Muslim student Najeeb Ahmed
New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus once again reverberated with calls for justice as students marked nine years since the forced disappearance of Najeeb Ahmed, a first-year MSc Biotechnology student who went missing under suspicious circumstances in 2016.
According to Kashmir Media Service, members of the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association (BAPSA), Fraternity Movement, and Muslim Students Federation (MSF) held a powerful “Justice for Najeeb” march, demanding accountability and raising their collective voice against impunity and asking the haunting question, “Where is Najeeb?” Students marched through hostels, raising slogans against the Delhi Police, CBI, and university authorities, while also condemning the RSS and its student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
Najeeb, a native of Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, was allegedly assaulted and abducted by ABVP members outside his JNU hostel on October 15, 2016. Despite multiple investigations by the Delhi Police, Special Investigation Team, Crime Branch, and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), his fate remains unknown even after nine years.
Speaking to the media, Najeeb’s mother, Fatima Nafees, expressed anguish over the prolonged inaction. “These agencies have failed my aspirations and the idea of justice. But I still believe my son is alive,” she said.
BAPSA JNU President Avichal Warke reaffirmed the student community’s resolve, saying, “We have gathered here to demand a single, urgent answer: Where is Najeeb?” He added that Najeeb was first beaten by ABVP members and later threatened with disappearance.
Student activist Yogendra said the case symbolizes systemic oppression. “This is not an individual incident. Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims, and women continue to face discrimination and suppression across institutions,” he remarked.
Students Islamic Organization (SIO) National President Abdul Hafeez termed Najeeb’s disappearance a “planned conspiracy” aimed at intimidating marginalised communities. “It was meant to create fear among Muslim, Dalit, and other oppressed students, discouraging them from pursuing education in such spaces,” he said.
Meanwhile, the JNU Students’ Union has announced a candlelight vigil on Friday, October 17, to renew demands for justice and accountability under the banners #WhereIsOurNajeeb and #BringBackNajeeb.
