Delhi Court directs CBI to supply its closure report to missing JNU student, Najeeb Ahmed’s mother

The Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at Patiala House has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to supply its closure report in the investigation into the disappearance of Jawaharlal Nehru University student Najeeb Ahmed, to his mother Fatima Nafees..The Court has directed CBI to supply all statements of witnesses and other documents in the case as well. As per the Court’s order, the same will be supplied to Najeeb’s mother within two weeks..Additionally, the Court has also directed the Investigating Officer to appear in person on the next date of hearing..The order was passed by CMM Naveen Kumar Kashyap while deciding on the of issue of Nafees’ protest petition against the CBI’s closure report in the case..Rejecting the CBI’s contention that there was no provision for a “protest petition” and consequent supply of documents under the Criminal Procedure Code, the Court held that the law on the issue was settled..“The law is settled that in case of closure/cancellation report, the complainant is to be given an opportunity to file protest petition, if so desired, by the complainant. In the present case, it is clear that the complainant wants to file a protest petition.”.Since Najeeb’s mother wished to file a protest petition against the closure report, the Court held that an effective opportunity should be granted to her to file the same..“Further there cannot be a half-hearted approach. In fact, an effective opportunity to be given to the complainant to file protest petition. As such, whole of the cancellation report alongwith the statement of witnesses and documents which are part and parcel of the cancellation report, have to be supplied to the complainant side. Accordingly, CBI is directed to supply to the complainant all such statements of witnesses as well as documents as mentioned alongwith such closure report.”.The CBI had filed its closure report in the investigation into the disappearance of Najeeb in October last year. Najeeb went missing from JNU campus in the intervening night of October 14-15 in 2016, after an alleged scuffle with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members..The closure report was filed by CBI soon after the Delhi High Court dismissed Najeeb’s mother’s petition seeking the constitution of a Special Investigation Team to look into the mysterious disappearance of her son..The case will be next heard by the CMM on May 7..Image taken from here.