Students Detained During AISA March Marking 17 Years Since Batla House Encounter
The All India Students’ Association (AISA) organized a march on Friday to commemorate the 17th anniversary of the Batla House “encounter,” an event that has been the subject of significant controversy in India. The demonstration was met with a strong police response, during which students were reportedly dragged, manhandled, and detained by Delhi Police with the assistance of university administration.
Among those detained were AISA secretary Sourabh and students Mantesha and Shajahan. AISA Jamia president Mishkat claimed that, in broad daylight, university officials handed students over to the police, forcibly removing them from campus grounds. She alleged that she was physically accosted by male guards, leading to torn clothing, and further accused the administration of a hostile approach towards students. A female protester in a hijab was also seen being taken away by female guards.
Protesters responded to the crackdown by chanting slogans such as “Sharam karo, sharam karo! Delhi Police down down!” and “We remember Batla House!” Some confronted the guards directly, questioning the rationale behind the violence against students.
Student Uthara R expressed that they were merely engaging in a peaceful march, alleging that Gate No. 7 was deliberately kept open to facilitate police detainment of students. “Even after coming inside the campus, some of us were detained. We have no idea where they have been taken,” she said.
Following the detentions, AISA claimed that multiple attempts to contact the Jamia Nagar Police Station and neighboring stations yielded no response. Aisa condemned the actions as unlawful and asserted that it constituted a direct assault on students’ rights to protest, their safety, and democratic principles.
The organization demanded immediate disclosure of the whereabouts of the detained students, their safe release, and accountability from the Station House Officer (SHO) of Jamia Nagar Police Station. AISA plans to gather outside the police station to protest what they consider “brazen illegality” and seek information regarding the missing students.
The march, titled “Insaf Mashaal Juloos,” proceeded from the Central Canteen to Gate No. 7 of Jamia Millia Islamia to remember the 2008 Batla House “encounter,” where Delhi Police Special Cell stormed a flat in Batla House during Ramadan, resulting in the deaths of two Muslim youths, Atif Amin and Mohammad Sajid, whom police labeled as members of the Indian Mujahideen.
Atif, 24, was a student at Jamia Millia Islamia, while 17-year-old Sajid was a student at Jamia School. Addressing participants, AISA secretary Sourabh questioned the lack of a judicial inquiry into the Batla House incident, emphasizing the need for transparency about the events of that day. He remarked on the stigmatization of Muslims, stating, “Whenever anything happens, Muslims are conveniently branded as ‘terrorists.’”
Sourabh also referenced the prolonged struggles faced by those wrongfully accused. “For 17 years, we have been demanding justice for Atif Amin and Mohammad Sajid,” he asserted, proclaiming the commitment to continue the march for justice.
Concerns regarding heavy police presence were raised, with Sourabh noting, “Delhi Police has turned the university into a cantonment zone,” contrasting it with its previous reputation as a site for anti-colonial struggle.
As reported by Asad Ashraf in a recent opinion piece for Maktoob, the Batla House “encounter” marked a pivotal moment for Jamia students, as many Muslim youths faced unjust treatment, leading to career disruptions and community stigma.
Various civil rights groups including PUDR, PUCL, Jan Hastakshep, APCR, JTSA, and FDI have flagged the official account of the Batla House “encounter” as a fabricated narrative intended to instill fear in Muslim communities. Their investigations raised critical questions about the legitimacy of the police operation, citing evidence suggesting possible extrajudicial killings.
Notably, postmortem reports obtained through RTI by activist Afroz Alam Sahil revealed that both Atif and Sajid had been physically assaulted prior to their deaths. These findings question the authenticity of claims made by police regarding the nature of the encounter and have fueled ongoing calls for justice from students and civil rights advocates alike.
The report first appeared on Maktoob Media.
Tags: Jamia Millia Islamia, Batla House encounter, student protest, police detention, Delhi news
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