JNU student booked after threatening to cough up and spread COVID-19

A Jawaharlal University student was booked by the Delhi police for allegedly violating lockdown rules and threatening to cough up to spread coronavirus on Saturday (April 4)

However, the student said he had sought warden’s permission to step out of the campus because of an emergency.

Pranav Menon, M Phil student at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, came to the north gate of the varsity around 8 pm on Wednesday and wanted to step out. Security officials instructed him not to step out.

When asked to leave, Menon said he will cough up and spread coronavirus, the FIR said.

When security officials tried to remove him, he scuffled with them and removed their masks. Later, a case under relevant sections of the IPC was registered, the police said.

Following this, Menon filed an online police complaint on Saturday, accusing the varsity administration of “blatantly targeting” him. “Such forms of blackmail is not unknown to the JNU administration. I had received permission to leave the campus from the warden of Tapti hostel. The warden has agreed to testify on my behalf,” he said.

He said he informed the security he had no intention of returning to the campus in view of the lockdown.

“My reason to leave the campus was my friend was unwell,” he said.

In his complaint, he asked for the CCTV footage on the main gate to be secured so the police can investigate the manner in which “entry and exit through the gate was being sanctioned”.

(With inputs from agencies)