A day after police crackdown on protesting students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the alleged molestation of a female journalist, the National Commission for Women (NCW) ordered an investigation into the matter on Saturday.
"We have ordered an investigation and sent a team to meet the police officers on Saturday. We will pursue the matter further on Monday," said NCW acting chairperson Rekha Sharma.
Delhi Police had lathicharged a large number of students and teachers while they were marching towards the Parliament Complex to voice their demands, including the ongoing compulsory attendance row. The protest took an ugly turn when police beat students up and used water cannons to disperse the gathering near Sanjay Jheel in Laxmi Bai Nagar.
Meanwhile, a female journalist was allegedly pushed and molested by the station house officer (SHO) of Delhi Cantonment despite her revealing her identity. Another photojournalist was manhandled and her camera snatched for recording the protest.
Two separate complaints have been registered with regard to the matter.
The students were demanding the resignation of professor Atul Johri over an alleged case of sexual assault, besides other issues. The protests erupted after Johri was arrested earlier this week, but granted bail the same day by Delhi's Patiala House Courts. Johri had eight FIRs filed against him in Vasant Kunj police station by the students.
JNU students and teachers associations had been demanding academic freedom, withdrawal of notifications replacing chairpersons opposed to implementing 'compulsory' attendance, as well as executive council's decision to form a committee to take action against teachers.
