The Allahabad High Court has made serious remarks against the lathicharge in the Aligarh Muslim University campus during the anti-CAA and anti-NRC protests in December 2019.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice J.J Munir heard the petition filed by Mohd Aman Khan.

The petition pertain to certain incidents which took place in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in December 2019.

In this case, the AMU students had protested against the CAA and the NRC in front of Azad Library. After this, there was a lathicharge in which many students were seriously injured.

The students had filed a petition in the High Court demanding compensation to the students injured in the lathicharge and action against the paramilitary forces.

The Court noted,

The order dated January 7, 2020, National Human Rights Commission was requested to hold an inquiry and submit a report before the Court. Needful was done. Copy of the inquiry report was handed over to the counsel for the State to respond to the recommendations made.

In the supplementary counter-affidavit dated September 7, 2022 filed by the counsel for the State, it has been submitted that the recommendations have been complied with by the State whereas recommendations are concerning the Union of India and Aligarh Muslim University, respectively.

The recommendations pertain to a direction to the Director General, CRPF for RAF to show utmost professionalism in dealing with such situations. We have no doubt that our paramilitary forces are well equipped to deal with such situations and are being regularly updated, the Court said.

The Court directed the Aligarh Muslim University to establish mechanism for better communication with students so that they are not influenced by outsiders. Communication channels should always remain open. But equal responsibility is also on the students so that they do not fall in the trap of unscrupulous persons operating outside the University to disturb peace there. Educational institutions have to maintain discipline. The students take admissions in Universities or any educational institution for education and not to indulge in these kinds of activities, which brings bad name to great educational institutions.

Accordingly, the Court dismissed the petition.