Najeeb Ahmed, a biotechnology student, vanished from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2016, leaving a family devastated by uncertainty.
The Ongoing Heartbreak: A Mother's Fight for Justice in Her Missing Son's Case
The Ongoing Heartbreak: A Mother's Fight for Justice in Her Missing Son's Case
A desperate mother seeks answers as the investigation into her son's disappearance stalls.
In October 2016, Najeeb Ahmed, a bright biotechnology student enrolled at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi, mysteriously disappeared, shaking the core of his family and sparking widespread outrage and protests. The incident followed an altercation he had with members of a right-wing student group, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), on the night before his disappearance. Najeeb was reported to have sustained injuries during the scuffle, leading to his hospitalization; however, despite being treated, he returned to campus the next day and subsequently went missing.
Since his disappearance, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the case from local police, only to recently announce that they have exhausted all avenues for investigation. A Delhi court has since ordered the closure of the case while expressing hopes that Najeeb may be found. This decision, however, has left his family disheartened, leading them to claim that the investigation process has been inadequate and biased.
Fatima Nafees, Najeeb's mother, has been vocal about her anguish and frustration with the authorities. Despite the lack of progress, she remains determined to seek justice for her son, questioning the CBI’s legitimacy and motives, particularly regarding the treatment of suspects involved in the incident. She believes that if Najeeb's identity were different, the police response would have been far more aggressive.
After years of battling the system, including filing petitions in the Delhi High Court and promoting public protests, Ms. Nafees continues to hold candlelight vigils on the anniversary of her son's disappearance. She yearns for the day she will finally learn the truth about what happened to Najeeb. Meanwhile, his father, Nafees Ahmed, described the pain of continuously waiting for news. The dimming hope, however, spurs no intentions of them to abandon the search for their son. "What if he comes, but can't recognize our house?" is a haunting thought he shares, illustrating the emotional toll this ongoing ordeal has taken on the family.
