The Delhi Police on Friday transferred the case of missing Jawaharlal Nehru University student Najeeb Ahmed to the Crime Branch. Joint Commissioner of Police (southeast) RP Upadhyay told PTI that the crime branch will have a “fresh look” at the case.

Another policeman said, “In order to get a different perspective on the case and have a fresh look at the evidence, the matter was transferred from South District to Crime Branch.” However, Ahmad’s mother had wanted the Central Bureau of Investigation to take over the case.

On Tuesday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung had said that the missing student was spotted in Bihar’s Darbhanga town and added that a Special Investigation Team has been sent there to trace Ahmad. The Delhi Police had said that eight separate teams had been formed to investigate the case.

The case of Ahmad going missing has snowballed on and off campus. On November 6, the Delhi Police had detained Ahmad’s mother and a group of students while they were protesting against his disappearance at India Gate.

Ahmad had been living in JNU’s Mahi-Mandavi hostel when he got into a spat with members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad while they were campaigning for the mess secretary elections. Ahmad was initially described by university officials as an “accused” in the events of that night, but after he went missing on October 15, 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.