Srinagar/ Lucknow/ Bhopal: At a time when the Jammu and Kashmir is painstakingly trying to persuade the Kashmiri youth to shun violence and return to their homes for living a normal life, a Ph.D. student from the Valley, who was studying in Aligarh Muslim University, has joined the militants’ ranks.
The news that 26-year-old Mannan Bashir Wani, who was pursuing a doctorate in earth science-geology in AMU, has joined indigenous militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahedin has not only shell shocked his family and friends, some of the security forces’ officials have privately admitted that it could leave an adverse impact on their effort to keep the local youth away from the influence of the gun.
A resident of Takipora village in Lolab valley of frontier Kupwara district, Wani was to return home four days back. He had reportedly left AMU before commencement of winter vacation at the university on January 6. But instead of turning up at his native place, the photographs showing him with a grenade launcher-cum-assault rifle (possibly modified AK-47) reached the family through social media, the officials said. The photographs were uploaded on Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp with the messages announcing that Wani has joined the Hizb. The Hizb late on Monday night confirmed Wani’s joining the outfit.
The officials said that the police and other security forces have launched a manhunt for Wani. These officials also said that Wani’s family had also filed a missing report after he did not reach home. “He was expected to reach home in Kupwara three days ago but when he did not turn up his family reported the matter to the police,” said a police official.
Earlier, Kashmir police ADGP Munir Ahmed Khan had said that he cannot confirm whether Wani had indeed joined the Hizb. While expressing caution, he had said that the photos in question could be photoshopped.
Wani has joined the militants’ ranks at a time when the PDP-BJP government is trying hard to persuade the local youth who have taken to the gun to shun the path of violence and return home.
AMU authorities have expelled Wani in view of reports about his joining the Hizb ranks. “Wani stands suspended until further probe is carried out into his disappearance and into social media photos that show him holding an AK-47 rifle”, said AMU Proctor Prof. Mohd. Mohsin Khan. Senior UP police officials and intelligence agencies have reached Aligarh to investigate the matter.
SSP Aligarh Rajesh Pandey raided Wani’s room in Habib hall of the AMU and seized documents and literature from the room. “We will study what kind of literature has been found in the room,” he said.
