Efforts to Find JNU’s Missing Student Najeeb Fail, CBI Closes File

Najeeb had gone missing from JNU on 15 October 2016, following a scuffle the previous night with members from ABVP.

Najeeb’s mother still awaits her son’s return

(Photo: PTI)

The Central Bureau of Investigation closed its investigation into the case of the missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmad as the agency's efforts to trace him yielded no results, officials told PTI on Monday, 15 October.

The agency submitted its report on the case in Patiala House court recently after getting permission from the Delhi High Court, they said. The court is likely to hear the matter on 29 November.

While taking permission of the Delhi High Court to close the case, the agency which began their probe in May last year had said all aspects were looked into but it could not find any trace of an offence.

What Happened to Najeeb?

Najeeb Ahmad had gone missing from the Mahi-Mandvi hostel of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi on 15 October, 2016, following a scuffle the previous night with some students allegedly affiliated to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

How Did CBI’s Probe Pan Out?

The agency had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for anyone giving information about Najeeb and informed police chiefs from all states in the country.

It also received some inputs from Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi where teams were immediately dispatched but to no avail, the officials said.

The agency had carried out a thorough check on unidentified bodies and pasted Najeeb's photograph on toll stations seeking information about him but these efforts did not result in any positive results, they said.

After exhaustive search, the agency has decided to close the case, they added.

In May this year, the probe agency had told the Delhi High Court that despite various attempts including "digital footprinting," no evidence was found in the case.

Subsequently, in September, the CBI told the court that the probe has been conducted, covering all aspects, but all efforts have failed.

Ahmed's mother, Fatima Nafees, had then sought a status report filed by the CBI and has also demanded a reinvestigation in the matter.

“I am ashamed and heartbroken that our country’s supposedly finest agency has decided to wash its hands off the case. The CBI admits to me that my son was assaulted, but at court claimed that nothing had happened to my son. I am shocked at such blatant lies.”

Fatima Nafees, Najeeb’s Mother

(With inputs from PTI, IANS)