- LPU student files PIL for CBI probe into campus violence.
- Petition alleges "well-planned, organised attack" by outsiders.
- Claims police inaction during widespread vandalism and arson.
LPU Protest: In a fresh development in the LPU protest case, a student of Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Punjab & Haryana High Court, seeking a CBI investigation into the entire sequence of events following a massive protest that reportedly resulted in violence, vandalism and arson across the campus on Sunday.
The PIL seeks the transfer of the investigation into the violent incident at LPU on September 27 to CBI under the supervision of the High Court. The hearing is scheduled for wednesday, reported Live Law.
What Does Petition Say?
According to the petition, the violence began on the night of September 26, after an unverified post on Reddit started circulating among LPU students. The post claimed that a worker had raped a girl student on campus, that the university had sent her home, and that she had later died by suicide.
The petition says that the post and messages shared on WhatsApp led around 2,000 students to gather outside hostel GH-3. At around 2:00 am, some students allegedly blocked National Highway 44 between Phagwara and Jalandhar.
The petition further alleges that the situation became violent during the night and continued till the morning. It claims that students and outsiders set buildings on fire, damaged doors, glass panels and turnstile gates, entered buildings, looted property and attacked staff members who tried to calm the crowd.
The petitioner also claims that a large number of outsiders, including men and women mostly around 30 years old, entered the campus. Some allegedly arrived in open cars and other vehicles.
According to the petition, some of these people were carrying walkie-talkies and brandishing swords, rods, guns and sickles. They allegedly covered their faces to hide their identities, reported Live Law.
The petition further alleges that the group broke open the university's main gates and damaged or burnt CCTV cameras, computers, UPS units, LED screens, turnstile gates, boom barriers and security offices.
Security guards were also allegedly attacked. The petition claims that several places on campus were set on fire and that shops, laptops, mobile phones, bank branches and ATMs were looted.
The petitioner has described the incident as a "well-planned and organised attack" and alleged that it was carried out by people or organisations operating in the background to defame the university and disturb the situation in Punjab.
The petition also mentions violence at Chitkara University in Rajpura a night earlier which was triggered by similar rumours that two girl students had gone missing or died by suicide. Both the university and the police later said that no such incident had taken place.
The petitioner has said that such incidents affect students the most and have created an atmosphere of fear on the LPU campus.
Petitioner Claims Police Knew About Gathering
The petition alleges that police had information about the gathering at around 1:45 am. However, it claims that the highway blockade, arson and looting continued for several hours and that no arrests were made during that period.
The petition states that the Deputy Inspector General of Police told the media that the allegations of rape and suicide were rumours. The Senior Superintendent of Police, Kapurthala, also reportedly described the alleged incident as a "rumour."
Punjab police have registered a case and started an investigation into the incident. An SIT (Special Investigation Team) has also reportedly been formed to investigate the matter.
The LPU administration has denied claims that any such incident involving a student took place on the campus.
Meanwhile, LPU suspended classes for 10 days from September 28. The university has also postponed its mid-term examinations.