PhD scholor returns from AMU to join Hizb, photos weilding AK-47 go viral

Srinagar: A PhD student from AMU who had gone missing few days back has reportedly joined Hizbul Mujahideen outfit as his picture posing with an AK-47 rifle has goes viral on social media in Jammu and Kashmir.

Official sources told news agency GNS that the student namely Manaan Wani (26) son of Bashir Ahmad Wani, a resident of Takipora village in Lolab, Kupwara, was scheduled to return on home three days ago. He was pursuing his PhD in Geology at Aligarh Muslim University.  However, he didn’t report back to home, the sources said.

From last five years, he was in Aligarh University and completed his MPhil.

Two days later, a picture of him wielding the rifle was uploaded on Facebook announcing that he had joined “Hizb” on January 5.

“The police have registered a case after a missing report was submitted by his family today,” a police officer said, adding that they have taken cognizance of the matter.

“We are investigating the case of the PhD student who left his studies to become a militant and his photograph holding an AK-47 assault rifle was doing rounds on social media”, the officer said.

The police was trying to ascertain how the student left his studies to join the militant group, the officer said.

Local sources said that Mannan belongs to a well-off family as his father is a Lecturer and brother is a Junior Engineer.

Wani had schooling up to Class 10th from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Lolab.

Meanwhile, photos of another youth namely Asif Ahmad Wagay are also doing rounds on social media. However, it could not be established to which outfit Wagay has joined. (GNS)