In response to the violent clash that erupted on its campus on April 25, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has expelled six students and banned them from enrolling in any university programme for up to three years.
Alongside this, 20 other students have been served show-cause notices demanding explanations for their role in the incident, as per a report by The Times of India.
What happened?
The confrontation began near the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Kaushal Kendra at Gate Number 8, where tensions between two student groups quickly escalated from a brawl to widespread violence. According to the university’s notices, both students and outsiders wielded sticks, stones, and other weapons, causing chaos and disrupting academic activities.
One of the expulsion notices, addressed to a diploma civil engineering student, detailed how the rioters pelted stones and bricks around the Hygenic Point café, shouted abuses at fellow students, staff, and visitors, and physically assaulted security personnel attempting to restore order.
The violent mob then moved from the South to the North Campus via Gate Number 7, continuing their rampage by damaging property including the central library, added TOI.
Reportedly, lab exams were interrupted, library services were disrupted, and classroom teaching suffered, all of which severely undermined the university’s academic environment.
The six expelled students are from various faculties, including Social Sciences, Engineering and Technology, MBA, and Yoga Studies, with debarment periods ranging from one to three years. They have been instructed to surrender their university ID cards and vacate hostels within a week. Additionally, the campus is now off-limits to them.
Jamia Millia Islamia has also filed a police complaint with the Jamia Nagar police station, though Delhi Police has not provided updates on any further action. The expulsion orders noted previous disciplinary measures against these students, such as earlier fines and warnings.
For the 20 students who received show-cause notices, the university accused them of being central conspirators in the unrest. They have been given seven days to respond, failing which strict punitive measures will follow.
University officials described the incident as a serious violation of discipline and law, emphasising that the involvement of outsiders and extensive media coverage has damaged the institution’s reputation.
