The Jamia FIR against Congress MPs Imran Masood and Imran Pratapgarhi has escalated tensions at Jamia Millia Islamia, where protests over student union elections have continued since October 12. Jamia Nagar police registered the case after a complaint from the university administration, according to Jagran – New Delhi.
The complaint alleges that the two MPs entered the campus without permission, provoked protesting students and contributed to a deteriorating law-and-order situation. The university is also reported to have accused them of criminal conspiracy. These are allegations in the complaint and will be subject to police investigation.
Jamia administration submitted video recordings and photographs to the police as supporting material, the report said. The FIR was registered on Sunday night after the police examined the complaint and the evidence provided by the university.
The case includes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to criminal trespass, wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt, mischief causing damage, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy and common intention. Police also invoked Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.
The FIR follows a series of developments inside the university campus. Demonstrations demanding restoration of the student union have reportedly been under way since October 12. On Friday, slogans including “Free Kashmir” and “Free Sharjeel Imam”, along with slogans concerning the Army, were found written on campus walls. The university administration condemned the slogans and painted over them on Saturday.
Tensions rose further on Sunday afternoon after a reported clash between students and security guards. The university administration has alleged that the two MPs entered the campus in connection with the protest and instigated students. The police case is based on the administration’s complaint and the material it submitted; the supplied report does not include responses from either MP or details of any counter-complaint.
The development places the management of protests, campus access and public-order responsibilities at the centre of the dispute. Jamia, as a large public university in south Delhi, must manage the competing demands of student representation, campus security and the rights of elected representatives to engage with public issues. The FIR now moves the matter from an internal campus confrontation into a formal criminal investigation.
The case also highlights the institutional consequences of unrest at public campuses. Allegations involving damage to public property, threats, injuries or unauthorised entry can trigger action under both criminal law and the public-property protection law. At the same time, the registration of an FIR does not establish guilt, and the allegations will have to be tested through the investigation and subsequent legal process.
Police are expected to examine the video and photographic material supplied by Jamia administration as part of the investigation. The supplied report does not specify whether the MPs have been questioned, whether arrests have been made or what further action the university will take regarding the student protests.
