“You have thrown her to the wolves”, Delhi HC pulls up police for inaction in DU Faculty of Law protests

The Delhi High Court had some strong words for the Delhi Police regarding its failure to deal with the protests at Faculty of Law, Delhi University last week..Yesterday in court, Prof Ved Kumari, Dean of the Faculty of Law, narrated the incident wherein students had entered her office and threatened her with dire consequences..Protests have been taking place on the campus since December last year, over students not being allowed to sit for exams for failing to meet the minimum attendance criteria, revaluation of exam papers, and other issues..As this video, shot in December, clearly shows, police stood as mute spectators even as students threatened Prof Kumari with violence:.The Bar Council of India had intervened, sending a letter to Faculty of Law, asking that they relax the attendance requirements, as it somehow had something to do with the fallout of the Centre’s demonetisation move..In response, Prof SN Singh, former Dean of the Law Faculty filed a petition in the High Court stating that the college had been asked by the BCI to be sympathetic towards over 500 students who had failed to maintain the minimum attendance requirement. The Court had asked the BCI to explain itself in a hearing on December 30..In light of the latest protests on May 19, the High Court took suo motu cognisance of the issue and summoned the parties to appear before them. Prof Kumari stated before the Court that the police had failed to take action despite receiving several complaints. PTI quoted the judges as saying,.“You have thrown her to wolves. You are feeding wolves by not separating them from the sheep. Police is seeing that a cognisable offence is being committed in front of its eyes but they do not act unless the institution’s head informs them.”.The Court also declared,.“We are pained to observe as widely reported in the press that the protest has erupted into violence on numerous occasions leading to vandalising of the office of the Dean and her intimidation in every manner possible..We are further saddened at the alleged inaction of the statutory authorities charged with responsibility of maintaining and enforcing Law and Order. There is no manner of doubt that on the occasion despite their presence at the spot the police has not taken appropriate action with law against violent protesters.”.The Bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Mukta Gupta then directed the Commissioner of Police, DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Usha Tandon, and Prof Kumari to file detailed affidavits noting the incidents that have taken place since December of last year..The parties have been given four weeks to file their affidavits.