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Ahead of student body polls, Bishnoi gang member among 5 outsiders found on PU campus
Police investigations had revealed that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who was lodged in Bharatpur jail in Rajasthan at the time, had planned the attack and got it executed through his aide Deepu Banur, lodged in Ambala jail in Haryana.
In a major security breach at Panjab University (PU) ahead of student body elections, five outsiders, including an associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, were found on campus on Wednesday evening. Police found them sitting in a car, with a Punjab registration number, near the law auditorium and took them into preventive detention.
The accused have been identified as Braham Dutt, 28, of Industrial Area Phase 1, who has seven FIRs registered against him, Vishal, 28, of Bapu Dham Colony, Sector 26, Vikash, 28, of Togan village, Mohali, Anand Yadav, 26, of Maloya, and Kshitij, 26, of Hallomajra.
As per the police, Dutt was one of the accused in a 2020 case where 17 shots were fired at liquor baron Arvind Singla’s brother’s house in Sector 33.
Police investigations had revealed that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who was lodged in Bharatpur jail in Rajasthan at the time, had planned the attack and got it executed through his aide Deepu Banur, lodged in Ambala jail in Haryana.
Dutt, along with Bishnoi gang members Kulwinder Singh, alias Kala, and Siva, alias Shiva Veeran, were arrested June 18, 2020, but later let off on bail. Dutt was also involved in another shooting case registered in April 2020 at the Industrial Area police station.
Police said the other accused, Vishal, also faced four FIRs, including an altercation with bouncers during a private event at Baithak in Kalagram, Manimajra in 2022.
Accused Anand Yadav has two FIRs registered against him for offences including voluntarily causing hurt using dangerous weapons.
Police cited the upcoming Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) elections while taking them into preventive detention under Sections 126 (security for keeping peace in other cases) and 170 (arrest to prevent commission of cognisable offences) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
They will be produced before the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM, Central) on Thursday.
Security concern
Though police have not been able to confirm if those detained had any links with student parties, many university insiders state that gangs continue to influence student elections. A party member, on the condition of anonymity, said that Lawrence Bishnoi still has an influence over a faction of Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU).
While there have been no incidents of violence on PU so far, two clashes were reported in GGDSD College last week. On April 10, two factions of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) clashed in PU after which police had filed cross FIRs into the matter.
Speaking about outsider entry, dean students welfare (DSW) Amit Chauhan said, “Currently, the entry of outsiders is not explicitly banned. People may have work in the office or in the Sector 14 market for which they can visit.”
He added that the ban on outsider entry will be announced when the Model Code of Conduct comes into force. PU officials added that police usually have inputs regarding anticipated violence on campus and act accordingly. The DSW is set to hold an all-party meet with the UT senior superintendent of police (SSP) next week to ensure law and order during elections.
