‘Chameleon found in food’: Jamia forms probe panel to examine CCTV footage

Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) announced on Monday that it has constituted a four‑member fact‑finding committee to scrutinise CCTV recordings following a student claim that a chameleon was discovered in a bowl of pulses served in the boys’ hostel mess on Saturday. The university also said it is seeking the help of government investigative agencies to assist in the examination of the footage.

According to the university’s statement, the CCTV clip appears to show a resident of the boys’ hostel carrying his bowl of pulses beneath a mess table before a group of students raised an alarm about the reptile. The committee will review the entire video, including events leading up to the incident and the roles of those involved. In a separate statement, the Jamia unit of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) alleged that six hostel students, most of them minors, were summoned to the Proctor’s office on Sunday afternoon without prior notice, had their mobile phones confiscated, and were interrogated for more than seven hours, with one student reportedly pressured to confess to planting the chameleon. The university has not commented on these allegations.

The controversy follows a recent three‑day protest by residents of the university’s Jammu and Kashmir Girls’ Hostel over food‑quality and hygiene issues, which was resolved after the administration pledged to replace the mess contractor and implement other concessions. Similar grievances resurfaced at the AMK boys’ hostel, prompting the university to reaffirm that messes are routinely monitored by provosts, wardens, caretakers and resident mess committees, and that senior officials occasionally dine there to assess standards. JMI has now decided to install additional CCTV cameras in all hostel messes and kitchens to enable 24‑hour monitoring of food preparation and catering activities.