On 5 January, a masked mob entered the JNU campus and assaulted students with impunity. Using wooden sticks, rods and sledgehammers, the mob wreaked havoc in JNU’s hostels.
By around 9 pm, a large crowd had gathered at JNU’s main gate. Even as lights on the roads leading to it were cut off, some members of the crowd began attacking the protestors. They raised slogans such as “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and beat those they claimed to be “naxals” or “from Jamia.”
The Delhi Police had gathered in huge numbers. It did not intervene in the attacks, nor did it arrest the assailants. By the time the lights came on, most of the attackers had left.