On Monday evening, a post went viral on social media by Facebook user Nikita Sara about JNU students in the capital staging protests against a professor accused of sexually harassing students. Her post alleged that a child, who was bleeding profusely was prevented from going to the hospital by the protestors. The incident reportedly occurred on Nelson Mandela Road in South Delhi. The JNU students were protesting alleged police inaction against JNU professor Dr Anil Johri.

She alleged that JNU students were dancing to the beat of drums and singing ‘azaadi’. Nikita claims she tried to reason with the protesters saying they were blocking the‘only road to 3 large hospitals’.

The protesters, she alleges ‘told her that’s not our problem and they were protesting sexual harassment’.

Nikita claimed that a lady in ‘full make-up was giving interviews’, claiming it was JNU student and eminent activist Shehla Rashid.

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Read her full Facebook post below:

I have never been so angry in my life. In the traffic jam, I saw a child, bleeding profusely in his mother arms, probably unconscious, mother screaming for help, help to get her car out of the jam, people looking helplessly while others driving, reversing recklessly, looking almost possessed to find a way out.

I parked my car right in the middle of the road, walked down to the epicentre of the cause, to find students of JNU dancing to the beat of the drums and singing 'aazadi'. I tried to reason with them, tell them about the grave situation, telling them that this is the only road to 3 large hospitals and they said, `that's not our problem and we are protesting against sexual harassment. On the other side, I saw a young lady with full make up giving interviews to the likes of Aaj Tak and others, I tried to stop the interview, tell her about the problems people were facing. Her name they said was #ShehlaRashid.

All she could do was ask me 10 times if I had been to college. Yes, Shehla, I went to a very good one. I learnt how to fight battles with dignity and value lives while I did that.

Reacting to the allegations, Shehla Rashid claimed on Twitter that she had no knowledge of the incident. She said in a series of tweets that none of the students had any knowledge of the incident and if there was a child, who actually faced problem, she would like to visit him. Shehla added that JNU students always allow ambulances to pass and help general public in need.

She added: “We are a responsible movement. Please have some faith. These things are raked up to deflect attention from main topic. These days, some ppl just throw my name around, in order to grab attention. Having said that, if there was indeed such a case, I'd like to visit the child."

'Public inconvenience' is a classic tactic to defame movements. People who are deeply embedded in the state and intelligence machinery know very well how to do this. This was done precisely because we have public sympathy. But if there is a child, I'd like to visit her in hospital.” She went on to write; “We were expecting backlash from BJP, but we weren't expecting it so soon. State agents are already at work. But let's keep focus on Johri. In the end, my best wishes to the injured child, if the story is true. Would like to visit her in the hospital. Thanks to all of you. JNU students donate blood to unknown persons all the time. I have full faith that they won't obstruct a bleeding child. In fact, if the story is indeed true, we will line up to donate blood. That's who we are.”

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students, who took a protest march to the Vasant Kunj police station on Monday demanding professor Atul Johri's arrest in an alleged sexual harassment case, accused the men in uniform of "inaction" in the matter.

"Four days after eight women students came forward with sexual harassment complaints against the professor, no action has been taken against him and just one FIR has been lodged," Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) vice-president Simone Zoya Khan said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (south-west) Milind Dumbere said they were dealing with the matter in accordance with the law. "Notice has been issued to the professor and he has been called tomorrow to join the investigation," the DCP said.

However, in a statement, the JNUSU said, "The Delhi Police has postponed the recording (of statement) of Atul Johri till tomorrow. This (recording) could have been done today itself. We believe that the postponement was done to give him more time. Since an FIR has been registered, he should be interrogated in custody and not given time to protect himself. By giving him more time, the Delhi Police is actively protecting him." The students raised slogans against the university officials and Delhi Police. A minor scuffle broke out when some of them tried to break the barricades put up by the police.

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) issued a notice to the Vasant Kunj police station today, seeking a status report of the case and reasons for not arresting the accused.Another notice was sent to JNU Registrar Pramod Kumar, seeking details of the complaints against the professor and the action-taken report thereon.

Besides the students, JNU professors too have been demanding action against Johri.Accusing the police of disregarding the procedures, 54 professors of the university today demanded registration of separate FIRs on the basis of all eight sexual harassment complaints against Johri.

With inputs from PTI