Ghazanfar Abbas, IndiaTomorrow.net,

New Delhi, March 22: The family of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed on Wednesday lambasted a section of media including Times of India (TOI) for running a false story linking Najeeb with terror outfit ISIS. While the media mentioned unnamed police official as source of the story, the Delhi Police rubbished the story yesterday itself. Najeeb’s family today warned that if media didn’t apologize for the fake story maligning Najeeb, they would approach the court for action.

Addressing a press conference at the Press Club of India here today, Najeeb’s younger brother Mujeeb Ahmed said: “It has been six months now, but Delhi Police have not got any clue. If Delhi Police have given such information (Najeeb was searching for IS), it is because they did nothing despite a long time passed. They should suspend who has done this and if Delhi police have not done this, then they should take action against all those media including TOI.”

“Once it is said Najeeb was searching for info about ISIS and later Police rejected this. Ask us, what we are facing. When I see rubbish comments on social media about my brother, I only know what I feel. They will realize this if same thing happened to them,” said he while referring to abusive comments on social media following the false news linking his brother with ISIS.

“For the last six months the laptop and mobile of Najeeb are with the Police. If they (media) will defame us without any proof, we will take action.”

“We are Muslims and now the mentality of people has become that Muslims are terrorists. And they accept it very easily,” he said.

“This is my humble request to the media to publish authentic story only; otherwise please don’t publish and tell the source of info about this specific story. We will certainly go to court against such media if they don’t tender apology and Police does not take any action,” said Mujeeb.

Sobbing all through the press conference, Najeeb’s mother Fatima Nafees said: “TOI is a prestigious and responsible newspaper. How can you do this? If TOI would do irresponsible reporting, what can we expect from others?”

She urged media to help her find Najeeb, rather than giving her more pain.

“Rather than help, media is giving us pain by saying Najeeb was linked to ISIS. We are Indians, ready to sacrifice ourselves for our nation, test us,” said Fatima.

“Media is our strength, so please raise my voice rather than giving us pain," she appealed.

Her son Najeeb went missing from JNU hostel on 15 Oct last year, day after his scuffle with some members of ABVP, student group linked to the ruling BJP.

Talking to the pressmen, Najeeb’s lawyer Adv. Qamber Ali Zaidi said: “The family has been exhaustively seeking justice in the case for the last six months. So now if any such story comes that her son was supposed to join ISIS then think what a mother would feel.”

“His mother told me that being a Muslim they are being targeted. Even if Najeeb was searching about ISIS, does it mean he committed any crime? If I search for bomb on Google, does it mean I want to make a bomb? Please have some responsibility and feel the pain of a family," said the lawyer.

Social activist Nadeem Khan said the false story attributing to unknown source in the Delhi Police “is tarnishing the reputation of Delhi Police, so we appeal to them that they should take action against these media.” “In case Delhi Police does not take action, it will be considered that they are the main culprit.”