AMU Revokes Suspension Of Kashmiri Students

Agra: The Aligarh Muslim University administration has revoked the suspension of two students on Tuesday after the fact finding committee gave them a clean chit on grounds that there was no evidence of their involvement in raising of slogans of azadi in the campus. However, the sedition cases registered against them by the UP police have not been withdrawn yet.

Confirming the move, registrar of the university, Abdul Hamid, said that the suspension of Waseem Ayoub Malik (Phd, Biochemistry) and Abdul Haseeb Mir (Phd, History) has been revoked, as committee did not find any evidence against them.

The registrar also told TOI that CCTV footage of the lawn where the students had gathered is not available. He said that cameras’ directions are towards the entry of Kennedy hall, which can not cover the lawn area.

SSP Aligarh, Ajay Kumar Sahini said that SIT will verify the evidences and witnesses before concluding the investigation. He further said that he has not received the probe report of AMU and once it comes then it will be forwarded to SIT.

The UP police booked both Kashmiri students after the video, purportedly shot a day after the death of former research scholar-turned Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, Mannan Wani in an encounter, shows a group of Kashmiri students raising slogans of “azadi”. They were suspended by the AMU administration after the video surfaced.

Expressing happiness over the report of fact finding committee, AMU Students union, vice president Sajjad Subhan Rather, who is also a Kashmiri, said that now the administration is on the right track. Rather said, “we hope justice will come from the UP police too”.

Earlier in a day, the Alumni meet at Aligarh Muslim University witnessed a silent protest by Kashmiri students, including girls, against the sedition charges, suspension and show cause notices issued to students.

With tapes on their lips the students held posters of “Free speech is our right”, “Being Kashmiri is not a crime”, “Don’t play with our careers” and “Revoke Sedition and Suspension”. The protest was held outside the Kennedy hall, where the meet was scheduled. (ToI)