Centre seeks report on prayer meet held for slain terrorist Manan Wani on AMU campus

The university registrar had said that a few students tried to hold a gathering over his death after which three of them were suspended.

Srinagar: The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry on Friday asked Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) for a report on the mourning incident on university campus over the death of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Manan Wani who was shot dead during the Handwara encounter in Jammu and Kashmir.

27-year-old Wani was a former student of AMU who quit PhD studies in Allied Geology and joined the militant ranks in January this year. He was killed at Shatgund village in Handwara area of Kupwara district during the encounter.

Following his death, AMU Registrar had on Thursday said that he was once a student at the varsity, however, he was later rusticated. The AMU has nothing to do with Wani now, he added.

The university registrar further said that a few students tried to hold a gathering over his death after which three of them were suspended.

"Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Manan Wani who was killed in Handwara encounter today was once a student at AMU, he was rusticated from the University. AMU has nothing to do with him now. Few students tried to hold a gathering today over his death, 3 students suspended," AMU Registrar had said.

Banned terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen suffered a setback Thursday when its top commander Wani was killed along with his associate in a gunbattle with security forces in north Kashmir.

The encounter broke out in the early hours in Shatgund following specific intelligence about the presence of Wani along with two others in the village.

Outstanding in studies, Wani, who got his basic education in Jawahar Navodya Vidyalay and Sainik School Manasbal, was considered to be the chief recruiter for militants in north Kashmir area following the elimination of some of the top ultras in the region over the past two years.

After the due legal process, Wani's body was handed over to his family for last rites in which over 10,000 people participated at his native village at Tekipora in Lolab area of Kupwara district.