Apple prevented over $7 billion in fraudulent transactions on App Store in 4 years
New Delhi: Has DCP (North) Jatin Narwal been sidelined after the February 22 violence at Ramjas College in which several students, professors and journalists were injured?
At least, this is what the Delhi Police’s roll call for security arrangements at the Delhi University campus seems to suggest. Sources said Narwal also received a dressing-down from Delhi Police chief Amulya Patnaik at a recent crime review meeting.
The Delhi Police have been under the scanner since February 22 when violent clashes broke out between members of the RSS-affiliated ABVP and the Left-leaning AISA at Ramjas College campus. A day earlier, the ABVP had forced college authorities to rescind a seminar invite to JNU’s Umar Khalid, who was charged with sedition last year. Several students and journalists had alleged that they were beaten by the police personnel at the campus, which falls under Narwal’s jurisdiction.
At a crime review meeting held after the incident, Patnaik had reportedly asked all Deputy Commissioners of Police to focus on building up the crisis management cells in their respective districts to avoid a redux of the security debacle.
While all other DCPs nodded in agreement, Narwal reportedly expressed confidently that his district already had a crisis management cell — a comment that earned him the ire of the police chief.
Narwal was reportedly told by Patnaik that his immediate silence on the violence at Rajmas did not mean that he had “overlooked” the matter.
As the meeting neared conclusion, Narwal switched on his mic and reportedly requested to speak. The DCP (North) then explained to Patnaik that “some seniors from (police) headquarters asked him not to detain anyone” in the clashes that broke out on February 22. He further said that he had been at court that day but “rushed” to the police station on learning of the situation.
Narwal’s constabulary claimed ‘janaab’ was briefly present outside the police station and was inside most of the time. In fact, he didn’t even try to pacify students who had come to register complaints or even strike a conversation with them, they said.
Events that unfolded on February 22 may be the reason why Narwal seemed to be at the periphery of the security set-up on Monday and Tuesday.
The Delhi University was turned into a fortress for the two days where counter-protests and marches had been organized by the students. While the ABVP carried out a ‘Triranga March’ on Monday, an anti-ABVP march was organized on Tuesday.
On Monday, police personnel from two districts were called in along with one platoon each from the ITBP, BSF and CRPF. An additional DCP-rank officer secured the head of the march, while joint commissioner (central) Virendra Singh Chahal and special commissioner (law and order) SBK Singh monitored the situation on ground.
On Tuesday, police from four different districts were called in. They were asked to report at around 8 am, over four hours before the anti-ABVP protest march was to begin. Joint commissioner Chahal himself called senior IPS officers, whom he wanted to be part of the arrangements, for a briefing. Sources said all personnel reached on time, but DCP Jatin Narwal was late.
Sources said it was Chahal who called the shots and asked police to prevent a repeat of the February 22 episode. They said each senior police officer was assigned a spot to man, but Narwal did not make it to the list. His name was also missing from the “overall monitoring” of the protest, sources said.
Sources said Narwal was mostly seen in his car that day or was seen shadowing Chahal.
Three police personnel were suspended and an FIR was registered following the February 22 incident.
