A Delhi court has permitted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to close the case of missing Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Najeeb Ahmed, nearly nine years after he disappeared. Najeeb Ahmed, a 27-year-old M.Sc. Biotechnology student, went missing from his JNU hostel on October 15, 2016, following an alleged altercation with students affiliated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Jyoti Maheshwari accepted the CBI's closure report, but granted the liberty to reopen the investigation if any new evidence emerges in the future. The court observed that the CBI had explored all plausible avenues in the case. While the court accepted the closure report, it expressed hope that Najeeb would be found and acknowledged the emotional toll on Najeeb's family. The court stated, "This court expresses its regret that while the proceedings in the present case end with this closure report, a closure for Najeeb's mother and other loved ones, still eludes us". It further noted, "There are cases where the investigation conducted cannot achieve its logical conclusion, despite the best efforts of the investigating machinery".
Najeeb's mother, Fatima Nafees, has vowed to continue her fight for justice, stating, "My wait for Najeeb will continue till my last breath". She has expressed her intent to consult with her lawyers to explore future courses of action. Nafees has been actively involved in protests, demanding a fair investigation into her son's disappearance.
The CBI had closed its investigation in 2018, stating that all possible leads had been exhausted. The agency submitted its closure report to the court after obtaining permission from the Delhi High Court. Fatima Nafees had challenged the CBI’s closure report, alleging that the agency had not properly investigated the possible roles of the nine suspects. The CBI maintained that the call details of the suspects were scrutinized, but no link to Najeeb’s disappearance was found.
The case was initially investigated by the Delhi Police, but was later transferred to the CBI following public outcry and a legal battle led by Fatima Nafees. Despite extensive searches and forensic analysis, the CBI was unable to locate Najeeb or make any significant breakthrough in the case. The CBI had earlier informed the court that Najeeb had refused treatment at Safdarjung Hospital after the alleged assault and that statements from the hospital's doctor and medical attendant could not be taken due to a lack of corroborating documents.
The court noted that while Najeeb was assaulted before his disappearance, there is no direct or circumstantial evidence linking anyone to the incident. The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate stated that the "perturbing incident" was "ipso facto not sufficient to arrive at the conclusion that the suspects had any role to play in causing the disappearance of Najeeb Ahmed".
Najeeb’s counsel had previously described the case as a "political case," alleging that the CBI had succumbed to pressure. Despite the closure of the case, the court has granted the CBI the liberty to reopen the investigation if any credible information about Najeeb's whereabouts surfaces.
