Back2 killed in AMU clashes; Rapid Action Force deployed
Violence erupted on Aligarh Muslim University campus late on Saturday night following a clash between two student groups
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Aligarh: Two persons were killed in a gunfight between rival groups on the campus of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), forcing the authorities to deploy the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and order a “major clean-up" operation in AMU hostels.
The violence left an expelled student dead on Saturday night, while another youth, who was injured in the clash, succumbed to injuries in hospital on Sunday, AMU spokesman Rahat Abrar said.
Violence erupted on the campus late on Saturday night following a clash between two student groups leading to the death of Mahtab, deputy inspector general of police (Aligarh range) Govind Agarwal, who led the operation, told PTI on Sunday.
Agarwal said trouble started when a resident of Mumtaz hostel was assaulted and his room was set on fire. The resident then went to the proctor’s office to file a complaint. As soon as news of the incident spread, students belonging to two rival factions gathered and a clash broke out.
Police said Mahtab was shot dead late on Saturday night near the proctor’s office, where the warring groups exchanged fire, set a four-wheeler and over half-a-dozen motorcycles on fire, besides indulging in arson and torching the proctor’s office building.
Mohd Waqif, who was critically wounded in the firing, was rushed to Delhi where he succumbed to injuries.
According to AMU officials, Waqif was not a student but was seeking admission to the university and staying near the campus for preparing for the engineering entrance test.
An AMU official said tension between the rival groups, belonging to Azamgarh and Sambhal regions of Uttar Pradesh, has been simmering. Police said a first information report has been filed against eight people including Mohsin Iqbal, a Master of Arts (Political Science) student, and seven others, mostly outsiders and former students, in connection with the violence.
The RAF was deployed at all sensitive spots, especially in view of the entrance test for the engineering college with over 13,000 candidates appearing from the AMU campus centre alone. The entrance test was conducted peacefully amidst high security on Sunday.
An uneasy calm prevailed on the campus throughout the day, district magistrate Balkar Singh said.
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