New Delhi: A student of the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has gone missing under mysterious circumstances following a brawl with some activists of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-backed student union on campus.

Najeeb Ahmad, who studies in the School of Biotechnology, joined JNU 15 days before he went missing.

According to Left-affiliated student union — All India Students’ Association, “Ahmad had a fight with activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) who were in his hostel last Friday night for a door-to-door campaign for the election of a mess committee. Ahmad slapped an ABVP candidate following which other ABVP members asked him to vacate his room. After that, he went missing.”

On Monday, a complaint for kidnapping was filed with the police.

“It basically started with a fight between two groups of students, but later a group of ABVP activists came to beat Ahmad in his hostel room for no rhyme or reason. All those who tried to save him, including the warden, JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) President and hostel residents were also beaten up,” a student said on condition of anonymity.

There was a protest organised by JNUSU on Tuesday demanding the University administration to seriously take up the matter with the police.

JNUSU also released a statement alleging incessant attempts by ABVP to terrorise students in various hostel of JNU.

“This is a regular practice now. Yesterday, a wardens’ meeting to prepare a report of the incident was also repeatedly disrupted by ABVP members,” JNUSU said a statement.

“Najeeb Ahmad was brutally beaten by a group of 10-15 students in the presence of the warden and other residents. He has been missing from the hostel. JNUSU protested at the gate demanding that the administration file a police complaint,” JNUSU general secretary Satarupa Chakraborty said in a Facebook post.

JNU administration issued a statement on Tuesday stating the campus was being thoroughly searched.

“The JNU security has been instructed to immediately look for the missing student. The Dean gave a written instruction to all wardens to search hostel rooms,” the University said in a statement.

Ahmad’s parents are now sitting in protest near his hostel.

“Where is my son? What has happened to him? I want him back. Where is he? Please give him back to me,” Najeeb’s mother Fatima, who has come from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, asked media.

Meanwhile, ABVP has a different story to tell.

“The hostel committee elections are on and our members had gone to Najeeb’s room to campaign. Four of our members went to his room in Mahi hostel. One of them, Vikrant, a third year BA student at School of Languages, had a red thread around his wrist. When Najeeb opened the door, he asked Vikrant why he was wearing the thread. He then slapped Vikrant without waiting for him to answer,” ABVP Delhi joint secretary and student at School of International Studies Ravi Ranjan Chaudhary told Gulf News.

ABVP has also filed a police complaint in this matter.

“The police has been coming to the campus since Saturday to inquire about the matter. This is a conspiracy in which JNUSU is involved. We only asked Najeeb Ahmad for an apology, that’s it, we did not say anything further. We don’t know where he is,” Chaudhary added.