Paras Mohammad is a former student of Aligarh Muslim University and an international athlete. He has done both graduate and postgraduate degrees from the Department of History at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). He also represented India at the United World Wrestling Grappling World Championship, which was held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 7 to 14, 2024, with several other national and international events.
Despite having cleared the entrance exam for the PhD program in history and global recognition in sports, Mohammad Paras could not get admission to the PhD program in history.
However, on April 21, 2025, he was informed that he had been marked absent. When he visited the department to clarify the issue, some department officials told him he was debarred from the university and he couldn’t give your interview.
His situation worsened earlier on November 21, 2024, when he was suspended from the university following a student protest near the administrative block. Paras, however, denies any involvement in that particular protest. He sought an inquiry under Section 36B of the AMU Act, requesting the university to verify CCTV footage to establish the truth. Despite submitting a written request to the Vice-Chancellor, Naima Khatoon, for a fair investigation, he says the AMU administration could not give any response to him.
Now Paras obtained anticipatory bail from the Aligarh District Court after the AMU administration failed to produce any CCTV footage or any evidence against him. The case, he says, was fabricated to malign his image and obstruct his PhD admission. The final hearing in the matter is scheduled for November 2025 before the Allahabad High Court.
“I was never involved in any misconduct like blocking the vice-chancellor’s vehicle or misbehaving with the proctorial team. ,” Paras said. His case is not a single case in Amu. Some students allege that at the AMU campus, those students who raise their voices for basic facilities or rights often face intimidation, false cases, or suspension.
Last year some students of Abdullah Girls College protested against electricity. Some proctor threatened them with suspension or FIR. Similarly, residents of Mohammad Habib Hall protested for good dining food and hygiene conditions in the hall. Instead of addressing students’ demands, the provost reportedly issued show-cause notices to some students and also threatened them, saying, “Main tumhara career khatam kar dunga” (I will ruin your career).
