Horse show turns violent: 5 held after student clash at AMU, strike disrupts health services
Abhay Pandey, circle officer (III) of Aligarh, said, “Five individuals, including AMU students, have been arrested in connection with the violence at the horse show and at JN Medical College.”
A horse show organised on Tuesday at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) spiralled into violence after two student groups clashed over seats in the viewers’ gallery. The altercation later continued at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (JNMCH), where shots were fired, triggering police intervention and the arrest of five individuals.
Abhay Pandey, circle officer (III) of Aligarh, said, “Five individuals, including AMU students, have been arrested in connection with the violence at the horse show and at JN Medical College.”
According to Pandey, two FIRs have been registered at Civil Lines police station—one based on a complaint from the security officer at JNMCH, and another filed by a student named Mohd Adi. A country-made pistol suspected to have been used in the firing has been recovered. Further investigation is underway.
Police have identified four out of the five individuals arrested as Suhail, Zaid, Altamash, and Ahmad Faiz.
AMU proctor Mohammad Waseem Ali confirmed that Ahmad Faiz is a registered student of the university, while the identities of the other four arrested individuals are still being verified to determine if they are students or “outside elements.”
He informed that a horse show organised by the AMU Riding Club escalated into a physical fight between student groups. “The injured were taken to JNMCH for medical examination, but tensions flared again, and a fresh brawl broke out within the hospital premises. During the ruckus, a country-made pistol was used, and gunfire was reported, leading to panic among patients and staff,” AMU proctor added.
The violence inside the hospital led to immediate repercussions. On Wednesday, doctors at JNMCH went on strike, demanding better security following the incident. Emergency health services were hit, and several patients, especially those in critical condition, were referred to hospitals in Delhi, the proctor informed .
“Health facilities were affected in the emergency ward, although the OPD remained operational,” said prof Mohd Wasim Ali. However, due to the strike, patients were seen struggling for treatment, and hospital authorities confirmed that multiple serious cases had to be shifted to the national capital.
Following the twin clashes, the university administration has stepped up security measures across the campus.
