The silence and indifference of investigative agencies have led some to believe that religion played a role in the lack of urgency to unearth the details of the disappearance case
NEW DELHI – Nearly nine years after Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Najeeb Ahmed went missing under mysterious circumstances, his distraught mother, Fatima Nafees, has expressed deep sorrow and frustration over the handling of her son’s case.
Earlier this week, a court in the national capital allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to formally close the case, leaving Najeeb’s family heartbroken and furious.
The 27-year-old MSc student disappeared from his hostel, Mahi Mandvi, on 15 October 2016, following an argument with students allegedly linked to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). His sudden disappearance became a matter of national concern, with several protests and demands for justice echoing across the country. But after years of fruitless search, the investigation now stands officially shut.
Fatima Nafees called the decision to close the investigation “negligent” and said the entire system had failed her.
In a Facebook post following the court’s decision, she wrote:
“I will fight till my last breath. Even the biggest agency and the entire judicial system couldn’t tell where my son is.”
Speaking to ETV Bharat, she added: “My fight is not just for Najeeb. It is for every mother who is waiting for justice. For years, lies were spread about my son. The Delhi High Court later ordered that all such content be removed from digital and social media platforms.”
She also thanked the students of JNU and those who stood by her during the long struggle. “They were my strength when I stood alone against this silence and injustice.”
Delhi Police initially investigated the case of Najeeb’s disappearance. But after months of no progress, the probe was handed over to the CBI. In 2018, the agency submitted a closure report saying that despite all efforts, they were unable to trace Najeeb or find any clue about whether he was alive or dead.
Now, in 2025, the Delhi court has accepted that report, leaving the family without answers.
Supreme Court lawyer Dr AP Singh was quoted by media reports as saying that the closure of the case does not mean the end of the legal road. “Fatima Nafees still has legal options. She can challenge the closure report by filing a protest petition in the District Sessions Court. She can also approach the Delhi High Court through a writ petition or take the matter to the Supreme Court,” he explained.
He added, “Not even a shred of evidence has been found about whether Najeeb is alive or dead. Every citizen has the right to seek justice.”
The most disturbing aspect of the case is the complete lack of clues. The initial reports said Najeeb had a confrontation with ABVP-affiliated students just a day before he went missing. But none of those involved were ever arrested or properly interrogated by the authorities, according to the family and activists.
Fatima has repeatedly said that investigators never treated the matter with seriousness. “There was no urgency. There was no honesty. They never treated Najeeb like he mattered,” she told journalists in an earlier interview.
The inaction has raised disturbing questions:
• Why were the students involved in the hostel altercation not taken seriously as suspects?
• Why was there such a delay in transferring the case to the CBI?
• Why did the CBI take years to submit a closure report with no results?
For many observers and rights activists, Najeeb’s case is a grim example of how cases involving Muslim victims are handled in India. The silence and indifference of investigative agencies have led some to believe that religion played a role in the lack of urgency.
“If Najeeb had been from a different community, would things have been different? We all know the answer, but few have the courage to say it out loud,” said a student protester who was part of the JNU demonstrations in 2017.
The student, who asked not to be named, continued:
“This is not just about Najeeb. It’s about how Muslim families are made to suffer silently. His mother had to run from one court to another, from protest sites to media offices, all while mourning a missing child.”
Fatima Nafees has often said that rather than investigate the disappearance, the agencies tried to paint her son in a bad light. “They called him mentally unstable. They said he ran away. They even tried to link him to terrorism at one point. All lies. All designed to shut me up,” she said.
The Delhi High Court, in 2019, ordered all social media platforms to remove fake and defamatory content about Najeeb. But the damage had already been done.
“They not only took away my son, but they tried to destroy his name. What mother would accept that silently?” Fatima asked.
Despite official silence, Fatima Nafees found support from civil rights groups, JNU students, and activists across India. Candle marches, press conferences, and online campaigns kept Najeeb’s name alive in public memory.
But with each passing year, the noise waned, and now, with the court accepting the closure report, many fear the case will be forgotten entirely.
“We won’t forget. We can’t forget. If this can happen to Najeeb, it can happen to any of us,” said Asadul Rehman, a student activist in Delhi.
He added, “This case showed us that even in India’s top universities, Muslims are not safe. And worse, if anything happens, they won’t get justice.”
Fatima has made it clear that she won’t stop. She’s preparing to challenge the closure report. Her lawyers are examining all options.
“If I have to go to the Supreme Court, I will. I will knock on every door. I will sit in protest again. I will shout for my son until this country listens,” she said.
Over eight years. Countless marches. Hundreds of pleas. No answers.
Najeeb Ahmed vanished from one of India’s most well-known universities. In broad daylight. And the system failed to find out what happened.
Fatima Nafees still holds on to hope. Not because the system gives her reason to, but because that’s what a mother does.
“I look at his photo every day. And I ask: where are you, my son?” she said, holding back tears. “I won’t stop until I find you or until my last breath.”
