The Delhi Police on Sunday detained the mother of Najeeb Ahmad, a student of Jawaharlal Nehru University who had gone missing after an altercation with members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on October 15, while she was protesting against his disappearance at India Gate. A group of students was also detained along with her. Members of the Aam Aadmi Party condemned the police for dragging her away and handling her in a rough manner.

Roads leading up to the area had been blocked in anticipation of the protest. Kejriwal had, durin an address at the university, suggested that students protest at India Gate, NDTV reported. He had also told reporters that the police had not taken Ahmad’s case seriously owing to “political pressure”. The ABVP is closely linked to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Section 144 was imposed in the area as the protests turned violent, and the police picked up dozens of students and took them away in their vans, The Financial Express reported. JNU students claimed ABVP members had joined the protest to create trouble.

The move came hours after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that he had met President Pranab Mukherjee to discuss Ahmad’s case. Kejriwal said the President had promised to reach out to the Ministry of Home Affairs to help find Ahmed. Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung's office had also issued a statement saying "All efforts are being made to trace Najeeb", including more than 20,000 missing posters in and around Delhi. The L-G's office claimed the police had also interrogated 300 autorickshaw drivers and deployed 150 personnel to look for him.

Ahmad had been living in JNU's Mahi-Mandavi hostel when he got into a spat with the ABVP while students were campaigning for mess secretary elections. Ahmad was initially described by university officials as an "accused" in the events of that night, but after he went missing, the police registered a case of abduction and offered a reward for any information on his whereabouts. Following orders from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the Delhi Police also formed a special team to trace Ahmad.