A social media influencer has come under the scanner of the Punjab Police as more original CCTV footage from the DVRs of Lovely Professional University (LPU) surfaced, providing investigators with fresh material to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to violence on the campus on Sunday.
As normalcy started returning to the university campus, several original video clips emerged, showing events inside and around the department of student welfare (DSW) building. The probe teams have begun scanning the footage along with videos circulating on social media to establish their authenticity and identify those present during the violence.
Senior superintendent of police Gaurav Toora said the police were examining the matter from all angles but could not disclose details of the investigation at this stage.
“First and foremost, we need to check the authenticity of the particular videos on social media before identifying those present at the time of violence in the university campus,” Toora said.
One of the videos being examined by the police purportedly shows the social media influencer, who has a verified Instagram account, entering the DSW building without covering his face. Seconds later, a group of masked and armed protesters is allegedly seen entering the multi-storey building, where CCTV cameras and window panes were damaged.
The influencer, part of the LPU student community, has more than 21,000 followers on Instagram and was also seen during the protest negotiating with police officials.
{{/usCountry}}The influencer, part of the LPU student community, has more than 21,000 followers on Instagram and was also seen during the protest negotiating with police officials.
{{/usCountry}}Another video purportedly shows him damaging a statue and other university property. The footage has now become material being examined by investigators as they seek to establish the sequence of events and determine the individual roles of those involved.
Sorabh Lakhanpal, executive dean and head of the student welfare wing, said the university had received some information about the influencer and would share the available details with the police.
“We have received some inputs about this particular influencer and will share all the details about him and his record with the police probing the matter,” Lakhanpal said.
Later, another video surfaced in which the influencer appeared to explain his presence inside the DSW building and denied being part of the violent protest.
“I was present at DSW but only to appeal to the students not to break any trophies inside DSW. I told them that they could break anything but trophies. I am not part of the violent protest,” he said.
He claimed that he became agitated only after a security guard allegedly hit a female student and some items were damaged.
In a separate social media post, the influencer said he was being targeted because he was a content creator who had raised several issues during the protest.
“I pointed out every issue that needed attention—whether it was suicide, eve-teasing, or anything else,” he said.
He also denied allegations that he had brought outsiders to the campus.
The police, however, maintained that the authenticity and context of the videos circulating on social media must first be established before drawing any conclusions. Investigators are expected to compare the social media footage with original CCTV recordings and corroborate the visuals with witness statements and other evidence.
Veracity of Reddit post remain unclear
Meanwhile, three days after violence erupted at LPU following unverified reports that an outsider had allegedly raped a female student, the police investigation has yet to establish the authenticity of the message that circulated among students.
Both the university management and the local police are examining the origin and veracity of a message circulated on Reddit that allegedly referred to a sexual assault. The identity of the alleged victim as well as that of the accused remains unclear.
The Kapurthala police had registered a rape case under Section 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against an unidentified person after the unrest began on Sunday.
The violence subsequently saw a masked mob allegedly vandalise university property, damage buildings, torch police vehicles and set parts of the campus on fire following the circulation of the unverified reports.
“We are still checking the authenticity of the particular message received by the students. Even the students have failed to establish their identity. Even they had no clarity about where the alleged crime occurred,” said an official privy to the investigation.