ALIGARH: A 17-year-old Class 11 student of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) affiliated Saiyyid Hamid Boys Senior Secondary School was killed after a dispute between two groups of students escalated into gunfire on Saturday evening.
The shooting triggered panic and chaos within the university. Upon receiving the information, police went to the spot and transported the injured student, Mohd Kaif, a resident of Alinagar area, to JN Medical College, where he succumbed to his injuries. Authorities are currently reviewing CCTV footage and other evidence to determine the cause of the altercation.
Mohd Waseem, AMU proctor, told TOI, “The incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed on campus. As of now, we have no clear input regarding the reason behind the attack. Since school exams are ongoing, we are unsure whether Kaif had an exam that day as he was not in school uniform.”
Kaif’s father, Mohd Naeem, and his uncle, Mohd Rafeeq, are class 4 employees of the university, officials said.
Deputy superintendent of police Abhay Pandey said, “The shooting incident took place near the school within the Civil Lines police station area. The student was shot after an altercation between two groups turned violent. Based on the complaint filed by the victim’s family, a case of murder has been registered. Three teams have been formed to track down the accused, and their arrest will be ensured soon.”
Meanwhile, the victim’s uncle, Dilsher Khan, said, “Kaif was studying in the self-financed commerce stream. He left home this afternoon, saying he would return soon. A friend of his was also waiting for him. Shortly after, we received the news of the incident.”
Notably, this is not the first instance of violence on the AMU campus. On July 25 last year, two employees from the registrar’s office, who were brothers, were shot by miscreants on the campus.
In response to security concerns, university officials said that around 400 security personnel have already been deployed to monitor the campus round the clock. Additionally, the administration has installed a network of CCTV cameras across the campus to enhance surveillance.
