Jamia students face suspensions, detentions & threats

Privacy violations and safety concerns

The struggle by some students of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) in Delhi for justice is far from over. What started as a protest against the administration’s handling of student activism has now escalated into an outright clampdown on student voices. The events surrounding the suspension of 17 students for protesting and the university’s subsequent mishandling of sensitive student data have sparked widespread outrage. The most troubling aspect of these developments is not only the suspensions themselves but also the unlawful detention and violation of privacy that followed.

Sonakshi Gupta, a 23-year-old student at Jamia Millia Islamia, was among the 17 students suspended on February 14 for participating in protests against suppression of students’ rights on campus.

Originally from a small town in Assam, she moved to Delhi for higher education, believing that university life would offer a space for critical thinking and activism.

However, the recent crackdown on student voices has left her questioning the very ideals she once associated with academic institutions. What started as a peaceful gathering to mark the fifth anniversary of the 2019 Jamia police violence has turned into a battle for justice, with students facing suspensions, detentions, and, in some cases, outright threats.

“Being a woman in this situation makes everything even more difficult. It is not just about the suspension or the legal repercussions it is about constantly fearing for my safety. Ever since my personal details were made public, I have been receiving anonymous calls at all hours, even in the middle of the night. Some are just silent, others are filled with intimidation. It is exhausting, unsettling, and at times, completely overwhelming. I never imagined that standing up for something I believe in would put me in a position where I have to constantly look over my shoulder, wondering who might be watching or what might happen next,” Gupta tells Media India Group.

The unfolding crisis at Jamia Millia Islamia began over three months ago, on December 15, when some students attempted to observe the fifth anniversary of the 2019 police crackdown. The university administration denied their request to hold a gathering and instead shut down campus spaces under the pretext of maintenance.

Undeterred, the students, including Gupta, gathered at the Central Canteen to protest against what they saw as an arbitrary suppression of their right to assembly. For years, the university has observed this date as a resistance day to honour those who were victimised by the brutal crackdown of 2019. However, this year, things took a darker turn.

“On December 15, we were determined to mark the fifth anniversary of the 2019 Jamia attack as Resistance Day. We had submitted a request to the Chief Proctor, but it was rejected. Undeterred, we released a poster for the gathering at Central Canteen. The administration quickly issued a circular, announcing that the campus would be closed for maintenance. When we refused to leave, citing the lack of any formal notice, the proctor ordered the closure of the gates, and we were forced to protest against the arbitrary decision,” says Saurabh Gupta, also among the 17 students suspended, tells Media India Group.

“Later that day, the Delhi Police arrived and barricaded the gates, dispersing those who had gathered. On December 16, we gathered again at the Canteen for a march, continuing our peaceful protest. But by December 17, I, along with three others, received show-cause notices, accusing us of disturbing the academic atmosphere and promoting a political agenda,” he adds.

He emphasises that natural justice was not upheld in this case. “They asked us to submit our response by December 20, but at the very least, we should have been given 15 days,” he stated.

He further explained that by the afternoon on the deadline, they had submitted a detailed seven-page response to the proctor’s office.

“Nearly two months later, on February 3, a notice was issued to the Hindi department, but I received it only on February 6. That same day, I also received a letter from the DC saying they were not satisfied without answers. But there was no explanation as to why they were not satisfied,” he adds.

He says that the protest was not just about a single issue but about protecting their fundamental rights and democratic spaces from administrative suppression. He adds that on February 10 evening, they gathered at Central Canteen, raised slogans, and demanded that their concerns be addressed.

However, instead of engaging with them, the administration responded with punitive measures.

“A few hours later, they turned off the lights, locked the washrooms, and shut down all the canteens,” says Gupta.

Despite these actions, the students remained undeterred and continued their sit-in protest through the night, using candles for light.

The following morning, they received an advisory from the chief proctor, which Gupta describes as an attempt to ‘delegitimise’ their protest. The notice claimed that ‘unauthorised students’ were illegally occupying Central Canteen and ordered them to vacate the area immediately. Nevertheless, the protest continued on February 11.

Gupta says that the incident escalated at midnight when  suspension letters were issued to seven students, including him. By next evening, 14 students were detained by the Delhi Police and Jamia Security. They were taken in three separate vans one to Badarpur Border Police Station, another to Fatehpur Beri Police Station, and the third to Bawana Police Station. According to Gupta, all detainees were eventually released next afternoon.

“We did not want our fundamental rights to be violated, nor did we want the administration to suppress our democratic spaces,” Gupta adds.

In the wake of the latest protests, the atmosphere on campus became one of heightened tension and unease. Students say that the administration, instead of engaging in dialogue with them, chose to suspend 17 students and issued a statement accusing them of “vandalising” university property and engaging in “unlawful protests.”

The suspension letters arrived at the homes of the affected students in the early hours in a move that many saw as a direct attempt to silence dissent. The administration’s response to these protests has been emblematic of a broader crackdown on academic freedom in India, where universities and educational institutions are increasingly becoming spaces of conflict over the freedom to protest and express dissent.

The students accuse the university administration not only of an unfair treatment, but also of violating their privacy. They says that on February 14, the administration released a list containing the personal details, including name, photograph as well as telephone number, of the suspended students. The students say that this act was a serious breach of privacy, raised concerns about the safety of the students.

For Sonakshi Gupta, the intrusion went even further as even her family was dragged into the ordeal.

“My parents were not aware of my suspension, but they were contacted by the Delhi Police on the second day of the protest. The call came from Jamia Police Station. First, they called my local guardian, then my father. They told him I was at the protest site at that moment and asked him to remove me immediately. They even instructed him to call them back to confirm that I had left,’’ she says.

Her father, unfamiliar with the volatile political climate of student protests, panicked.

“He was terrified. He knows what has happened to students here before. He was scared for my safety in a way that only a parent can be. But I couldn’t let that fear dictate my choices,” she adds.

As the protests continue, students remain resolute in their fight for justice, knowing that this battle is not just about their suspensions but about resisting a growing culture of suppression within academic spaces.

Despite repeated attempts to contact Jamia Millia Islamia officials on the allegations by the students and for their view of the issue, the university has not responded.