Hope he is traced soon: Court accepts CBI closure in JNU student missing case

Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Monday accepted the closure report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case of former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Najeeb Ahmed, who went missing on October 15, 2016 after an alleged altercation with members Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad

The CBI had submitted its closure report in 2018, but Najeeb’s mother challenged it with a protest petition. While disposing of the matter, the court granted the CBI liberty to re-open the investigation if it receives any credible information about Najeeb’s whereabouts and directed the agency to inform the court accordingly.

The court held that the CBI had explored all plausible avenues and concluded that the agency had carried out a thorough probe. “Evident that all conceivable aspects which could have been investigated upon, have been thoroughly covered by CBI, but no credible information could be received regarding his whereabouts,” the court noted.

The court also acknowledged the emotional toll on Najeeb’s family, stating, “The Court expressed its regret that while the proceedings in the present case end with this closure report, a closure for Najeeb’s mother and other loved ones, still eludes us.” It further observed, “There are cases where the investigation conducted cannot achieve its logical conclusion, despite the best efforts of the investigating machinery.”

In its order, the court mentioned that although witness testimony supports allegations of a physical assault and verbal threats against Najeeb on the night of October 14, 2016, no direct or circumstantial evidence establishes a link between those events and his disappearance the following day.

The court also examined and rejected all grounds raised by Najeeb’s mother regarding alleged lapses in the CBI investigation. It maintained that the agency had undertaken a holistic probe and exhausted all investigative options.

Among the court’s observations:

• When Najeeb left his hostel room, he left behind his mobile phone and laptop.

• No clue or information emerged that could help ascertain his whereabouts.

• Statements by Najeeb’s mother and his doctor confirmed he was suffering from recurrent depression and rumination.

• The assertion that Najeeb did not wish to return to the hostel after visiting Safdarjung Hospital remained speculative and indicated the possibility that he may have voluntarily left the hostel.

• While a “perturbing incident” took place the night before Najeeb disappeared, the court noted it was not sufficient to conclude that the suspects had any role in his disappearance.

• “In a volatile atmosphere like the hostel elections and more so in a campus like JNU, such scuffles and exchanges are not unheard of, but the same is not a sufficient basis to conclude that these young students would go to an extent to cause the disappearance of another student, especially when there is no evidence on record to suggest the same.”

As a parting note, the court said: “The Court has also earnestly hoped that Najeeb Ahmed shall be traced soon.”

Najeeb Ahmed, a 27-year-old MSc Biotechnology student, went missing following an alleged altercation with members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Despite investigations by the Delhi Police and later the CBI, his whereabouts remain unknown to this day.

- Ends