Jamia student seeks one crore compensation for injuries in anti-CAA protest

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought response of the Centre and the AAP government on a Jamia Millia Islamia student's plea seeking compensation for injuries suffered by him allegedly in police action against anti-CAA protesters on December 15 last year.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued notice to the the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi government and police seeking their stand on the plea which also wants registration of an FIR into the offences allegedly committed by the police forces. The court listed the matter for further hearing on May 20.

The petition filed by Mohd Mustafa has sought that the authorities be directed to pay a compensation of at least Rs one crore for physical and mental losses suffered by him.

The plea has sought direction for reimbursing the student the expenses of his medical treatment that he had already incurred, including cost of travelling to hospitals.

On February 17, another similar petition had come up for hearing before the high court which sought response of the Delhi government and police on the plea.

It was filed by Shayaan Mujeeb who contended that he was in the university library on December 15, 2019 studying, when police personnel entered the building and allegedly beat up the students there.

The court was initially of the view that the petitioner ought to have filed a civil suit if he was seeking compensation as the claims made by him would have to be proved through evidence which cannot be done in a writ petition.

Earlier, another student Mohd Minhajuddin had moved a plea seeking a probe into the incident and demanding compensation for injuries he suffered.

Minhajuddin, according to his plea, lost vision in one eye in the incident.

On December 15 last year, a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act near Jamia Millia Islamia turned violent, with demonstrators pelting stones at police and setting public buses and private vehicles on fire.

Police later entered the university, firing teargas shells and baton-charging students.