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Punjab women’s commission seeks report on LPU, Chitkara University arson
Orders action-taken reports and FIR details from Kapurthala and Patiala district authorities by September 30 following campus protests and social media rumours.
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Chandigarh: The Punjab State Women Commission has sought a detailed report from the deputy commissioner and senior superintendent of police, Kapurthala, regarding an alleged incident involving a girl student at Lovely Professional University (LPU), in Phagwara, which triggered arson and loot on the university campus.
Taking suo motu cognizance of incidents at Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, and Chitkara University, Rajpura, the commission directed senior civil and police officers in Kapurthala and Patiala districts to conduct inquiries and submit action taken reports by September 30.
It also directed the authorities to submit a copy of the FIR registered in connection with the LPU incident, details of the special investigation team (SIT) constituted to probe the matter and the current status of the investigation.
A protest had broken out on Sunday at LPU over unverified reports that a girl student had been raped on the campus by an outsider. An FIR has been registered against an unknown person in connection with the alleged rape and a seven-member SIT has also been formed to investigate the matter. The university authorities, however, denied that any such incident took place on the campus.
The commission sought details of security arrangements made for women students’ hostels, including CCTV surveillance, deployment of security personnel and monitoring of entry and exit points. It directed authorities to ensure the privacy and safety of the student complainant/victim and protect her from any pressure, coercion or threats during the investigation. The commission has asked for details of action taken in connection with the student protests, clashes and reported damage to property.
Regarding Chitkara University, the commission sought details of any police complaints concerning allegations circulating on social media about girl students being missing or facing untoward incidents.
