A Delhi court on Monday permitted the CBI to close its probe into the 2016 disappearance of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Najeeb Ahmed. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Jyoti Maheshwari accepted the central agency’s closure report, noting that the case could be reopened if any new evidence comes to light.
Ahmed, a student of M.Sc. Biotechnology, went missing from JNU’s Mahi-Mandvi hostel on October 15, 2016, following an alleged altercation with members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The case initially investigated by the Delhi Police was transferred to the CBI in 2017.
In 2018, the CBI stated it found no leads despite extensive efforts and later submitted a closure report, after securing the Delhi High Court’s approval. However, Najeeb’s mother, Fatima Nafees, opposed the closure, alleging political interference. Her counsel told the court that the CBI had “succumbed to pressure from its masters”, calling it a “political case”.
The agency, in its investigation, stated that Ahmed had gone to Safdarjung Hospital after the alleged scuffle but refused to undergo treatment or get a medico-legal certificate (MLC) despite being advised to do so. He reportedly returned to the hostel accompanied by his friend Md Quasim.
The CBI said that while Ahmed was seen leaving the JNU campus in an auto-rickshaw, no conclusive evidence was found thereafter. The investigating officer also noted that statements from hospital staff could not be verified due to a lack of supporting documentation.
According to his mother, Ahmed had returned to campus on October 13 after the holidays. On the night of October 15-16, he had called her, saying something was wrong. She rushed from Bulandshahr to Delhi, only to find his hostel room empty. Najeeb Ahmed has remained missing since that day.