JNU VC walks free; Rajnath Singh calls for special team to trace missing student Najeeb Ahmed

On 20 October, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students ended their two-day long siege over Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar and the university Registrar over the disappearance of university student Najeeb Ahmed, and let them walk free.

The students staged protests outside the Administrative Block on 19 October, confining top officials of the university in their offices. They were demanding a conclusive response on the whereabouts of Najeeb Ahmed, the missing student.

Except Bharatiya Janta Party's student (BJP) wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarti Parishad (ABVP), all other political parties participated in the protest, demanding quick action to find Najeeb.

Also read - JNU missing student: Blocked in office, VC alleges; students deny allegation

This morning, however, the VC warned students of stern action against them and said he is determined to conduct the scheduled academic council meeting. The siege ended within hours of him having issued the ultimatum to students to let the administration work.

"If all our efforts fail, if we continue to be confined like this and if we are prevented from doing our duty, we will have no other option but take suitable action," the VC said.

Rejecting allegations of inaction, he said they had written to the police about the missing student and an inquiry by the university will be expedited and the "guilty" will be punished.

Here's what he had to say: