LPU campus chaos: CM Mann orders action, students flag fear of ‘outsiders’

The spokesperson said the Chief Minister had made it clear that no one would be allowed to take the law into their hands and that the police would act after examining the facts.

Punjab DGP Yadav said a conscious decision was taken not to use force against the protesting students. He said that like the protesters in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, students at LPU have grievances. He said action will be taken as per law against persons found responsible, even if they are higher-ups in the university, the state police chief said.

What led to violence at LPU

Violence erupted at LPU on Sunday after unverified reports alleging that an outsider had sexually assaulted a student on campus. The university denied the allegations, calling them “baseless” and “fabricated”.

Police have registered a rape case against an unknown person and set up a Special Investigation Team to probe the matter. Senior police officers, however, said they could not establish the allegation in the preliminary investigation. “The three girls present in the hostel room where the sexual assault is alleged to have occurred denied that any such incident took place,” an officer said.

A video that emerged later showed the three students saying that the video they recorded was trimmed and shared on social media. They have said they were being trolled after the earlier video circulated online.

The protesters demanded justice for the alleged victim and action against anyone found responsible. They have also said no action should be taken against those participating in the protest. Other demands include more security in girls’ hostels, no male staff in areas where girl students live, greater accountability for hostel officials and action against university officials if negligence is established.

LPU has more than 35,000 students from India and abroad. Its Founder-Chancellor is Ashok Mittal, a BJP Rajya Sabha MP who switched from the AAP in April.

Classes suspended, students leave

With the university suspending classes for 10 days following the violence, students started leaving the campus on Monday. A student from the Northeast, who was waiting for her uncle to take her home, said, “I could have stayed in the hostel, but after what happened yesterday, I don’t feel safe. I am not scared of the students who were protesting. I am worried about people coming from outside and taking advantage of the situation,” she said.

She said her uncle was coming to pick her up because she did not want to leave alone. “The university should ensure that outsiders are not allowed to enter the campus. They are not concerned about the safety of the students,” she said. Other students leaving the campus raised similar concerns, saying the presence of outsiders during Sunday’s unrest heightened their fears.

LPU officials have also expressed concern about outsiders entering the campus during the protest. The university has said that students who do not wish to go home can continue staying in the hostels. They have been advised to avoid unnecessary movement.

According to sources, an outsider has been detained after he was found with a walkie-talkie and a weapon. Further details about the person were not immediately available. Security on the campus has been beefed up. More than 2,000 police personnel have been deployed on and around the campus, and a flag march has been carried out.