LPU violence: HC raps Punjab Police on delay in probe

The court also took a serious note of submissions by senior advocate Gaurav Chopra, who pointed out that from the affidavit, the police had virtually given a “clean chit” in the case

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday flagged gaps in the Punjab Police probe into the violence at Lovely Professional University (LPU), Phagwara, last month and gave a “last opportunity” to the state police before it considers transferring the case to an independent agency.

Closed since the violence, the campus reopened on Monday. (HT Photo)

During the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an independent probe into the violence, the court questioned the state government why the person who posted the alleged rape rumour had not been questioned or arrested.

The court also took a serious note of submissions by senior advocate Gaurav Chopra, who pointed out that from the affidavit, the police had virtually given a “clean chit” in the case.

He also highlighted that police failed to properly investigate any common link between the LPU violence and a similar incident reported at Chitkara University a few days earlier.

“The fears which are highlighted before the court, we are taking it very seriously. Please take up things in the right perspective,” the bench remarked when Chopra read out various details about the case, including that nine cops were injured and arson reported at the university resulted in a ₹30-crore loss.

The state’s counsel on the other hand told the court that the ambit of the probe had been widened; counter-intelligence and the state cyber unit were probing the matter now, and sought four weeks to complete the probe.

“We are very serious. After all, the image of the state is being spoiled,” senior advocate Chanchal Singla, appearing for the state, told the court.

The court asserted that before considering the prayer for transferring the investigation to an independent agency, it was giving a last opportunity to the state police to examine the matter in the “correct perspective”.

“We expect the police authorities to immediately take cognisance of the larger implications, which arise out of the incident and the threats, which it poses to public safety, security and larger national interest, and take remedial measures forthwith so as to apprehend the culprit,” the court said while giving time till October 27.

The PIL filed by Ravi Raj, a BTech student at LPU, is seeking a CBI probe into the violence, arson and looting that broke out at LPU following the alleged rape rumour on September 26. The rumour allegedly first appeared on social media platform Reddit through a post that claimed a girl student had been raped on the campus and sent home. This prompted hundreds of students to protest outside the girls’ hostel and block the Amritsar-Delhi National Highway-44 on September 26. The violence broke out again on September 27 and widespread damage was caused to university property, and shops and malls on the campus were looted.

Academic session resumes amid heavy police deployment

High security arrangements were put in place as the academic session resumed at LPU on Monday after remaining closed since the September 26 and 27 violence. A heavy rush of students was witnessed as parents arrived to drop off their wards.

Dr Sorabh Lakhanpal, executive dean and head of student welfare, said though online classes were already underway, the academic session resumed completely in the offline mode on Monday.

“The students appeared in their first mid-term examination in their respective academic disciplines. We are committed to providing a safe environment to students,” Lakhanpal said.

Lakhanpal said apart from police presence on the campus, the varsity management had also beefed up security checks to keep a tab on the entry of outsiders and anti-social elements.

LPU has also installed a special board of discipline to take further disciplinary action against the violent protesters, who have already been served notices, directing appearance before the board on October 14.

As many as 89 students have been nominated in the criminal FIRs registered for vandalising LPU property and torching three police vehicles. The police have already arrested 17, including 15 students of the university.