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PU polls 2023: ‘Booze for vote’ under police radar
Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur on Tuesday directed senior police officials to keep a close watch on newly enrolled students, most of whom are under the legal drinking age of 25, being served liquor
With the Panjab University (PU) students election date of September 6 fast-approaching, Chandigarh Police are keeping a strict vigil on the city clubs where students parties are expected to throw freshers’ parties, luring underage students to vote for them by buying them liquor.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kanwardeep Kaur on Tuesday directed senior police officials to keep a close watch on newly enrolled students, most of whom are under the legal drinking age of 25, being served liquor at any such events.
Chairing a special meeting with four deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) and station house officers (SHO) concerned who have the PU campus or the affiliated colleges under their jurisdiction, Kaur directed them to conduct surprise raids at all city clubs in order to keep underage students from drinking.
The SSP further directed the officers to take immediate action against any clubs found serving liquor to such students.
Kaur also asked the officers concerned to meet representatives of student parties and sensitise them about the punishment for illegal activities including carrying arms inside the campus or the affiliated colleges.
“We will not shirk from taking strict legal action against any notorious elements or the person who will try to hamper the peaceful conduct of student elections,” she said.
One of the DSPs who attended the meeting said, “In order to get more votes, student parties contesting the election organise parties in clubs with the help of funding from political parties. PU authorities can’t refrain them from holding such events as they organise them in the name of freshers’ parties and that cannot be included in the election expenditure. We are going to conduct surprise raids at the clubs or bars regularly and will take strict action in case of underage drinking.”
Another officer, meanwhile, noted that those contesting elections do not invite students for the parties directly, but shared the contact numbers of persons who interested students may reach out to.
In the past, student parties have organised trips to Goa or hill stations, besides buying them food and drinks at lavish club events.
Meanwhile, a day after Chandigarh Police prepared a list of 92 potential troublemaker students, including 70 from the PU campus and 22 from DAV College, Sector 10, teams are now preparing another list of such students from rest of the colleges affiliated with the varsity.
