LPU violence: Punjab and Haryana High Court seeks status report from govt, Jalandhar Police Commissioner
PTC Web Desk: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday sought a status report from the Punjab Government and the Jalandhar Police Commissioner on the violence, vandalism, arson and alleged looting at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Jalandhar/Phagwara.
The directions came during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an LPU student seeking a CBI probe into the entire incident.
The matter was taken up by the Chief Justice’s Bench after the petitioner sought urgent hearing in view of the seriousness of the violence reported on the university campus.
During the hearing, the petitioner submitted that LPU is among Punjab’s largest universities and is located along the National Highway. It was argued that an incident of this scale at a university situated on a major national highway could have wider implications, including from a national security perspective.
The petitioner also referred to a similar incident reported at Chitkara University a few days earlier and claimed that the incidents needed to be examined to determine whether there was any broader pattern behind them.
The High Court, however, focused on establishing the sequence of events and the ongoing investigation.
The Bench observed that if the violence at LPU was triggered by a social media post that is being described as fake, it would be important to identify the source of that post and establish how it led to the subsequent events.
The court has therefore asked the authorities to place before it the status of the investigation, including the action taken so far and the steps being taken to identify those responsible for the violence and destruction.
The Jalandhar Police Commissioner has also been directed to submit a status report.
The PIL comes after the initial petition was filed seeking a CBI investigation into the violence. The unrest broke out following reports concerning the alleged rape of a student. The police had registered a criminal case to investigate the allegation, but had not, at that stage, confirmed that the alleged incident had actually taken place.
The subsequent violence on the LPU campus involved reports of extensive damage to university property, vandalism, alleged looting and arson. Following the unrest, the university suspended classes and other academic activities for 10 days from September 28.
The matter will now be taken up after the status report is placed before the court.
Also Read | Calm returns to LPU after violent clashes, but who is the girl at the centre of the storm | Timeline of the protest
- PTC NEWS
