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{{short description|Indian student}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Najeeb Ahmed
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = 1989
| birth_place = [[India]]
| disappeared_date = {{dts|15 October 2016}} (age 27)
| disappeared_place = [[Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi|Jawaharlal Nehru University]], [[New Delhi|New Delhi, India]]
| disappeared_status = {{Missing for|2016|10|15}} (Case closed by CBI. No progress made — 2016-10-15).
| nationality = [[Indian people|Indian]]
| education = M.Sc (Biotechnology)
| mother = Fatima Nafees<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/waiting-for-najeeb/article19825150.ece|title=Waiting for 'JNU boy' Najeeb Ahmed, who went missing without a trace in 2016|last=Bhandari|first=Hemani|date=2017-10-09|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-08-31|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
| father = Nafees Ahmed
}}
[[File:Where is Najeeb graffiti in front of CBI headquarters New Delhi.jpg|thumb|"Where is Najeeb" graffiti in front of the Central Bureau of Investigation headquarters, New Delhi. (The CBI headquarters is on the opposite side of the road, not pictured.)]]
'''Najeeb Ahmed''' was a first-year M.Sc. [[Biotechnology|biotech]] student at the [[Jawaharlal Nehru University]] (JNU) in [[New Delhi]], [[India]], who went missing from his hostel on the university campus under suspicious circumstances on 15 October 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://muslimmirror.com/eng/najeeb-ahmed-kidnapped-from-jnu-campus-admin-and-police-keep-mum/|title=Najeeb Ahmed Kidnapped from JNU Campus: Admin and Police keep mum|last=Wahab|first=Hisham ul|date=2016-10-19|work=Muslim Mirror|access-date=2018-08-15|language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/Probe-finds-ABVP-member-guilty-of-assaulting-Najeeb/article16661795.ece|title=Probe finds ABVP member guilty of assaulting Najeeb|date=2016-11-21|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-08-15|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thequint.com/news/india/will-send-missing-jnu-student-najeeb-ahmed-to-72-virgins-jnu-student-recalls-mobs-threat|title=‘Will Send Najeeb to 72 Virgins’: JNU Student Recalls Mob’s Threat|work=The Quint|access-date=2018-08-08|language=en}}</ref>

==Disappearance==
Najeeb Ahmed was a newly enrolled student at JNU.{{what|date=October 2020}} He resided at the Mahi-Mandavi hostel on the university campus for less than a week before he disappeared. His family, as well as the JNU Students' Union, have consistently maintained that Ahmed's disappearance was linked to an assault which occurred the previous night. Ahmed was attacked by nine members of the [[Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad|ABVP]] after they had allegedly knocked on his door seeking votes for an upcoming hostel election.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bhardwaj|first=Ananya|date=2020-01-27|title=Case of JNU’s missing Najeeb — a search abandoned but a mother determined to fight on|url=https://theprint.in/india/case-of-jnus-missing-najeeb-a-search-abandoned-but-a-mother-determined-to-fight-on/354128/|access-date=2020-10-01|website=ThePrint|language=en-US}}</ref>

Subsequently, his family demanded that the proper investigative agencies look further into the assault and his disappearance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/BringBackNajeeb/posts/|title=Bring Back Najeeb|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2018-08-15}}</ref> On 25 November 2016, Ahmed's mother, Fatima Nafees, filed a [[habeas corpus]] petition before the [[Delhi High Court]], claiming that the [[Delhi Police]] had failed to make any progress in the month after her son's disappearance.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Legal|first=India|date=2018-09-04|title=Najeeb disappearance: Delhi HC reserves order|url=https://www.indialegallive.com/constitutional-law-news/courts-news/najeeb-disappearance-delhi-hc-reserves-order/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=India Legal|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Investigation ==
The police filed a [[First information report|First Information Report]] (FIR) for kidnapping and wrongful confinement based on Fatima Nafees's complaint on 15 October 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/jnu-student-claims-that-attempts-were-made-to-kill-the-missing-student-najeeb-ahmed-3097273/|title=JNU student claims that attempts were made to kill the missing student Najeeb |date=2016-10-22|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2018-08-15|language=en-US}}</ref> Premier investigative agencies in India, including a [[Special Investigation Team]] (SIT) of the [[Delhi Police]], the [[Criminal Investigation Department|Crime Branch]] of the Delhi Police, and the [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] (CBI), have been unable to find any leads. All of these agencies were reprimanded by the Delhi High Court at various points for their poorly executed investigation into the case.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Court-raps-police-for-shoddy-Najeeb-probe/articleshow/55674696.cms|title=Court raps police for shoddy Najeeb Ahmed probe - Times of India|work=The Times of India|access-date=2018-08-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/delhi/report-delhi-high-court-scolds-cbi-over-inaction-in-najeeb-case-2553487|title=Delhi High Court scolds CBI over inaction in Najeeb case|date=2017-10-17|work=dna|access-date=2018-08-15|language=en-US}}</ref> The Delhi police spent approximately 24,55,600 rupees (US $32,869.53 as of 1 November 2020) advertising Ahmed’s disappearance.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://archive.siasat.com/news/delhi-police-spent-approx-rs-24-lakhs-najeebs-advertisement-1455229/ | title=Delhi Police spent approx. Rs 24 Lakhs for Najeeb’s advertisement | author=Younus | work=Siasat Daily | date=11 January 2019 | accessdate=14 June 2020 }}</ref>

After 25 days, the investigation was transferred to the Crime Branch. CCTV footage was found that led the investigators to identify the rickshaw that Ahmed reportedly took from the JNU campus.<ref>[https://theprint.in/india/governance/inside-story-of-the-hunt-for-najeeb-ahmed-the-jnu-student-who-disappeared-into-thin-air/133628/ Inside story of the hunt for Najeeb Ahmed, the JNU student who disappeared into thin air, Ananya Bhardwaj and Kritika Sharma, The Print, 13 October 2018]</ref> The mobile phones of the nine ABVP members accused of assaulting Ahmed were sent by the CBI to the [[forensic science laboratory]] in Chandigarh and 122 gigabytes of data were extracted from six of the phones. However, the data did not reveal any relevant information.

On 29 June 2017, the CBI announced a reward of 1 million rupees (US $13,385.54) for information about Najeeb Ahmed.<ref>[https://twocircles.net/2017jun29/412218.html CBI’s Rs 10 lakh reward for information on JNU student, Two Circles, 29 June 2017]</ref>

In one of their submissions to the Delhi High Court, the CBI accused the Delhi Police of forcing a false statement from an auto driver who said that he had driven Ahmed to [[Jamia Millia Islamia|Jamia Milia Islamia]] on the day of his disappearance.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/cops-forced-auto-driver-to-say-he-dropped-jnu-student-najeeb-ahmed-at-jamia-cbi-in-high-court-4937722/|title=Cops forced auto driver to say he dropped JNU student Najeeb Ahmed at Jamia: CBI in High Court|date=2017-11-14|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2018-08-15|language=en-US}}</ref> The Delhi Police had used this fabricated evidence to pursue a theory that Ahmed had left the campus on his own volition.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india-delhi-police-traces-auto-driver-who-ferried-missing-jnu-student-najeeb-356918|title=Delhi police traces auto driver who ferried missing JNU student Najeeb|date=2016-11-16|access-date=2018-08-15|language=en-US}}</ref> It had also used Ahmed's medical history to assert that he was mentally disturbed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/11/07/police-claim-najeeb-was-mentally-disturbed-as-family-moves-cou_a_21600886/|title=Police Claim Najeeb Was 'Mentally Disturbed' As Family Moves Court|date=2016-11-08|work=HuffPost India|access-date=2018-08-15|language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thequint.com/news/india/najeeb-ahmed-insomnia-depression-missing-jnu-students-brother-mujeeb-home-minister-abvp-jnusu-mother|title=Najeeb Was Not Mentally Disturbed: Missing JNU Student’s Brother|work=The Quint|access-date=2018-08-15|language=en}}</ref> After being unable to prove any connection between his medical condition and his disappearance, the Delhi Police quietly dropped this line of investigation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cbi-ends-search-for-jnu-student-najeeb-ahmed-missing-for-2-years-1932466|title=CBI Ends Search For JNU Student Najeeb Ahmed, Missing For 2 Years|website=NDTV.com|access-date=2019-03-03}}</ref>

Fatima Nafees issued legal notices to prominent publications including [[The Times of India|Times of India]], [[Times Now]], and [[Zee News]] for falsely reporting that her son had connections to the terrorist group [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIS]].<ref>[https://twocircles.net/2017apr07/407491.html Fatima Nafees issues legal notice to Times of India, Times Now, Zee News, etc. for false reportage on Najeeb, TCN News, 7 April 2017]</ref>

In May 2019, the court asked the CBI whether Ahmed is alive or dead, to which the CBI responded that the last time Ahmed was seen was with his friend, and he must have been in hiding. His mother Fatima Nafees opposed the statement and demanded a hearing.<ref>[https://www.siasat.com/najeeb-ahmed-alive-or-dead-court-asks-cbi-1497293/ Is Najeeb Ahmed alive or dead? Court asks CBI, Rasia Hashmi, Siasat daily, 16 May 2019]</ref>

== Role of JNU administration ==
The JNU administration was accused of partisanship and inaction in protecting the 9 students accused of assaulting Ahmed by the JNU student community. They blockaded the administration for 20 hours on 23 October 2016<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.scoopwhoop.com/After-A-20Hour-StandOff-Over-Missing-Student-JNU-Vice-Chancellor-Let-Off-By-Students-Union/#.c5qe9dvjz|title=After A 20-Hour Stand-Off Over Missing Student, JNU Vice Chancellor Allowed To Go|last=ScoopWhoop|date=2016-10-20|work=ScoopWhoop|access-date=2018-08-15|language=En}}</ref> because it had issued circulars calling Ahmed "an accused" which angered students on campus. The administration also issued a 25-point bulletin on Ahmed which did not mention his assault the night before. The JNU Teachers' Association blamed them for being apathetic and showing bias in how the issue was handled.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2015-06-05|title=Continued Absence of Najeeb Ahmad—Letter to the Editor|url=https://www.epw.in/journal/2016/43/web-exclusives/continued-absence-najeeb-ahmad%E2%80%93letter-editor.html?0=ip_login_no_cache=ee1f2bd70aee5c21bec1d92510b3ffd4|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|language=en|volume=50|issue=23}}</ref> They also criticized the bulletin for 'selectively omitting' the fact that Ahmed was attacked during a brawl a night before.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/JNU-teachers-association-slams-varsity-administration-on-its-25-point-bulletin-on-Najeeb-Ahmed/articleshow/55073131.cms|title=Missing student: JNU teachers' association slams varsity administration for its 25-point bulletin - Times of India|work=The Times of India|access-date=2018-08-15}}</ref> Fatima Nafees also accused the JNU administration of insensitivity.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/missing-student-najeeb-ahmads-family-slams-police-jnu-admin-3622141/|title=Missing student: Najeeb Ahmad’s family slams police, JNU admin|date=2016-10-28|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2018-08-15|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Activism by Fatima Nafees ==

Fatima Nafees has frequently joined activists in protests against the central government and the JNU administration. She joined the JNU Students Union in the ''Light a Ray of Hope'' protest in 2016.<ref>[https://twocircles.net/2016oct30/1477840297.html JNU to have sombre Diwali with sit-in, prayers for Najeeb, 30 October 2016]</ref> She addressed a campaign by [[Jamaat-e-Islami]]'s student organization, SIO, on 22 March 2017 and also inaugurated an exhibition by the SIO in [[Malappuram]] in 2018.<ref>[https://twocircles.net/2018dec28/428035.html SIO and GIO hold state conference in Kerala; Fatima Nafees attends, Najiya O, TwoCircles.net, 28 December 2018]</ref> Fatima Nafees joined Kavitha Lankesh, Professor Apoorva and Shaista Parveen, in a public meeting in Delhi’s [[Jantar Mantar]] for the third anniversary of Ahmed's disappearance, joining BSP minister [[Danish Ali]], author [[Arundhati Roy]], Supreme Court advocate [[Prashant Bhushan]], and St. Stephen’s College professor Nandita Narain in 2019.<ref>[https://www.shethepeople.tv/news/najeeb-ahmed-mother-fatima-nafis Proud of Being Known As Najeeb Ahmed’s Mother, Says Fatima Nafis, Poorvi Gupta, 16 October 2019]</ref> She also joined N Sai Balaji, the National President of [[All India Students Association|All India Students' Association]], at JNU on 23 November 2019,<ref>[https://www.edexlive.com/news/2019/nov/21/najeebs-mother-ammi-visits-protesting-students-at-jnu-lends-her-support-9194.html Najeeb's mother 'Ammi' visits protesting students at JNU, lends her support, Prajanma Das, EDEX Live, 21 November 2019]</ref> then campaigned for [[Kanhaiya Kumar]] in [[Begusarai]] during the 2019 parliamentary elections.<ref>[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bareilly/najeebs-mother-to-campaign-for-kanhaiya-in-begusarai/articleshow/68785508.cms Najeeb’s mother to campaign for Kanhaiya in Begusarai, Times of india, 9 April 2019]</ref> Fatima Nafees joined Nadeem Khan of "United Against Hate", who is also an Assistant Secretary of [[Jamaat-e-Islami]], at a press conference on 4 October 2019.<ref>[https://www.siasat.com/campaign-begin-demanding-justice-najeeb-subodh-sahil-1648900/ Campaign to begin demanding justice for Najeeb, Subodh, Sahil, Asia Hashmi, Siasat Daily, 4 October 2019]</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/sep/30/delhi-waqf-board-gives-rs-5-lakh-job-to-family-of-missing-jnu-student-najeeb-ahmed-2041358.html | title=Delhi Waqf Board gives Rs 5 lakh to family of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed | newspaper=The New Indian Express | date=30 September 2019 | agency=PTI | accessdate=11 October 2020 }}</ref>

==See also==

* [[List of people who disappeared mysteriously: post-1970|List of people who disappeared]]

{{Clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Campus violence in India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmed, Disappearance of Najeeb}}
[[Category:2010s missing person cases]]
[[Category:2016 in India]]
[[Category:Missing person cases in India]]
[[Category:October 2016 events in India]]
[[Category:Enforced disappearances in India]]

Disappearance of Najeeb Ahmed - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 17:35, 13 August 2023