Aligarh Muslim University have recorded at 50 deaths in the past few weeks. The current and retired staff succumbed to Covid-19, as per the information received by officials said on Monday. The administration rejecting allegations said that the prestigious Uttar Pradesh institution were lax or negligent in dealing with the pandemic.

The developments received with the sources say that at least 15 serving faculty members, 25 retired teaching faculty, 15 staff members and two schoolteachers from AMU have died in the past three weeks of Covid-19. In the statement, Dr Rahat Abrar, the public relations officer of AMU said that “In all, 18 serving faculty members have died, out of whom 15 died because of Covid-related reasons. The cause of three other deaths was non-Covid. There are more deaths, which include retired faculty members and staff at Aligarh Muslim University.” He further stated that these deaths have taken place in the last 20 to 25 days. Concerned by this, the vice chancellor of AMU has written to the Indian Council of Medical Research for genome sequencing of the virus active on the campus. AMU vice chancellor Tariq Mansoor wrote to ICMR director general Balram Bhargava, requesting a study to find out if a particular virus variant was circulating around the Civil Lines area of Aligarh. The Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College is affiliated to AMU and situated on the university campus. The head of the medicine department at JNMC, Prof Shadab Ahmad Khan, is among 18 serving faculty members of AMU who died.

The deaths have triggered allegations of negligence. Faizul Hasan, former president AMU Students’ Union, demanded a high-level inquiry. Other students and teachers said there was widespread panic in the campus and a shortage of doctors at the medical college. While JNMC principal Prof Shahid Ali Siddiqi rejected the allegations and said Covid was playing havoc all over the nation and the medical college was no exception.

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