Chandigarh hostel row: Protests rock Mohali University; three arrested
13 min readBy PTI
CHANDIGARH: Protests rocked the campus of Chandigarh University in Punjab’s Mohali Saturday evening over allegations that objectionable movies of a number of ladies college students had been recorded by a hosteller, following which Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ordered a probe.
The protests continued on the campus until late Sunday evening with senior officers from the district administration, police and college attempting to pacify the scholars.
After a preliminary investigation, police arrested a girl scholar, whereas a 23-year-old youth, said to be her boyfriend, was held in Himachal Pradesh and handed over to the Punjab Police.
The Himachal Police additionally detained one other 31-year-old man in reference to the case.
Punjab’s Additional Director General of Police, Gurpreet Deo, who reached the Chandigarh University campus to take inventory of the state of affairs after the Saturday evening protests, instructed reporters that the girl scholar appeared to have shared a video of herself with the youth and no objectionable video of another scholar was discovered.
University authorities additionally rejected as “false and baseless” stories that claimed movies of a number of ladies college students within the varsity hostel had been made and leaked on social media and that distraught college students had tried suicide.
ALSO READ | ‘Leaked movies’ protests: Arrested Chandigarh University woman shared solely personal video, says cop
During the Sunday night protest by numerous college students, together with male, many accused the college authorities of “suppressing facts” associated to the alleged movies and ‘”suicide try” by a scholar. Some college students claimed that movies had been leaked.
Most of the protesters had been wearing black garments and chanted “we want justice” within the presence of police. They raised slogans towards police as properly.
Tension prevailed on the campus as protesting college students confronted college and police officers, questioning “if nothing had happened on the campus”, why the college on Sunday night declared September 19 and 20 as “non-teaching days”, thus a vacation for college students.
They demanded an apology from the police and district administration for calling the objectionable movies of some college students as ‘rumours’. They claimed the accused lady had admitted she had made the movies.
Despite repeated efforts by the college authorities to finish the contemporary protest, college students continued with it. The college authorities even sought a listing of their calls for to finish the stalemate. There was heavy deployment of police on the campus.
Students demanded that the statements of these feminine college students whose movies, they alleged, bought leaked, be recorded earlier than representatives of scholars.
Several college students individually put forth their calls for earlier than the college authorities on many points together with altering hostel wardens, rest in timings for hostel entry, and issues of safety.
A scholar claimed the movies had been made which had been later deleted and the accused scholar’s telephone was additionally damaged.
Another scholar claimed greater than 10 women ladies college students suffered panic assaults Saturday night fearing that MMS movies of “50-60 girls had” been leaked by the arrested scholar to her boyfriend over telephone.
She claimed that the boy’s hostel had been transformed into a lady’s hostel just lately and lacked amenities, whereas even CCTV cameras had not been put in in each hall.
Some college students additionally alleged that the college was attempting to implement a costume code for feminine college students.
“We want that all investigation should be held with transparency,” mentioned a protesting lady scholar whereas additionally demanding that “hostels should not be made jails”.
Deputy Inspector General of Police G PS Bhullar and Deputy Commissioner Amit Talwar instructed the protesters {that a} Special Investigation Team headed by a senior lady IPS officer shall be fashioned for an in-depth investigation.
“It is our duty to clear every apprehension of the children,” mentioned Bhullar.
Dr Arvinder Singh Kang, Director, Students Welfare of the University, tried to pacify the protesters.
A scholar was additionally introduced earlier than them and he or she claimed that she was wonderful and nobody had tried suicide.
Mohali’s SSP Vivek Sheel Soni confronted the ire of agitated college students after he instructed reporters that the protests occurred after “rumours” that movies of a number of ladies college students had been made and leaked.
Soni mentioned the arrested scholar’s cell phone has been seized for forensic evaluation and added that no suicide try by any scholar or dying has occurred.
An FIR beneath IPC part 354-C (voyeurism) and the IT Act has been registered within the matter and additional probe is on, officers mentioned.
Chief Minister Mann ordered the probe into the incident, saying strict motion shall be taken towards these discovered responsible.
“Our daughters are our honour. A high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident.”
“I am in touch with the administration,” mentioned Mann, who’s in Germany, interesting to individuals to not imagine rumours.
WATCH |
The incident sparked a flurry of reactions from political events and the central and state ladies’s rights organisations too stepped in.
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party nationwide convener Arvind Kejriwal mentioned these concerned within the incident will get the “harshest punishment”.
Punjab State Women Commission Chairperson Manisha Gulati visited the college campus.
In an announcement, the National Commission for Women (NCW) mentioned its chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to the Director General of Police of Punjab to take care of the matter strictly and with none laxity.
The victims have to be given correct counselling and their security and safety have to be ensured, the NCW mentioned.
The ladies’s rights physique has additionally written to Vice Chancellor, Chandigarh University to take stringent motion towards the culprits in accordance with the legislation and examine the matter extensively.
Opposition leaders together with Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, former chief minister Amarinder Singh, Shiromani Akali Dal chief and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and senior Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa demanded a free and honest probe and exemplary punishment for the responsible.
Badal mentioned authorities ought to make all info public and never attempt to suppress something.
Following accusations of scholars that they had been lathi-charged on Saturday throughout their protest, Mohali Deputy Commissioner Amit Talwar instructed them a magisterial inquiry shall be carried out into it.
University authorities mentioned that the demand of protesting college students concerning enjoyable hostel timings has been agreed to.
The college administration and the police instructed {that a} college students’ committee be fashioned to carry additional talks with the college administration concerning their varied different points.
DC Talwar additionally assured the scholars that no protesting scholar shall be rusticated from the school.
Meanwhile, in Himachal Pradesh, DGP Sanjay Kundu mentioned the state police reacted to the request of Punjab Police with sensitivity and professionalism and nabbed a 23-year-old man from Rohru in Shimla within the case.
Kundu in a tweet additional mentioned, “If any collateral evidence comes our way, we will take action as per law.”
He additional mentioned a 31-year-old man, a resident of Tehsil Theog, was detained at Dhalli in Shimla, including that he was taken by the Punjab Police to inquire his involvement within the case.
Briefing reporters on the college campus, ADGP Deo, who additionally holds the cost of ladies and youngster affairs, mentioned many rumours in regards to the case had been circulating on varied social media platforms.
“There are 4,000 girl students who live in the hostel. One has been arrested by police. Her phone has been taken into police possession and state cyber crime is conducting its analysis”.
Deo mentioned that three to 4 woman college students noticed the accused scholar within the widespread washroom the place she was taking some photos together with her telephone “which they thought she was taking from underneath the bathroom door…They then reported the matter to the warden and subsequently the police were informed”.
“I want to clarify after interaction with the group of girls they are happy that their concerns have been addressed. Their concern was if there is any video of other girls on her phone. Prima facie we did not come across any video of other girls,” ADG DEO mentioned.
In an announcement right here, Chandigarh University Pro-Chancellor R S Bawa mentioned there are rumours that women have dedicated suicide whereas the actual fact is that no woman has tried any such step.
“No girl has been admitted to hospital in the incident,” he mentioned.
Bawa mentioned, “There is another rumour which is circulating through media that an objectionable MMS has been found of different students. This is totally false and baseless.”
Mohali SSP Soni mentioned, “If you look at the sequence of events so far now, in our investigation it has come to notice that the video was only of herself. Apart from this, there is no video of any other (student).”
In a video that surfaced on social media, just a few college students had been purportedly seen confronting the scholar who’s accused of constructing the movies.
Referring to a video of a scholar being taken in an ambulance, the SSP Soni mentioned she had some nervousness issues and was wonderful.
Replying to a query on the hostel warden, the SSP mentioned she questioned the girl scholar, who was later arrested, to search out data on whether or not she had made a video of another scholar.
Notably, in a video, the warden is purportedly seen asking the girl scholar, “Who told you to record the video?..You will be suspended”.
The warden is then seen pointing in the direction of some ladies college students who’re additionally current, and may very well be heard saying, “Don’t these girls have honour? At whose behest did you do this? Who told you to make it?”
CHANDIGARH: Protests rocked the campus of Chandigarh University in Punjab’s Mohali Saturday evening over allegations that objectionable movies of a number of ladies college students had been recorded by a hosteller, following which Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ordered a probe.
The protests continued on the campus until late Sunday evening with senior officers from the district administration, police and college attempting to pacify the scholars.
After a preliminary investigation, police arrested a girl scholar, whereas a 23-year-old youth, said to be her boyfriend, was held in Himachal Pradesh and handed over to the Punjab Police.
The Himachal Police additionally detained one other 31-year-old man in reference to the case.
Punjab’s Additional Director General of Police, Gurpreet Deo, who reached the Chandigarh University campus to take inventory of the state of affairs after the Saturday evening protests, instructed reporters that the girl scholar appeared to have shared a video of herself with the youth and no objectionable video of another scholar was discovered.
University authorities additionally rejected as “false and baseless” stories that claimed movies of a number of ladies college students within the varsity hostel had been made and leaked on social media and that distraught college students had tried suicide.
ALSO READ | ‘Leaked movies’ protests: Arrested Chandigarh University woman shared solely personal video, says cop
During the Sunday night protest by numerous college students, together with male, many accused the college authorities of “suppressing facts” associated to the alleged movies and ‘”suicide try” by a scholar. Some college students claimed that movies had been leaked.
Most of the protesters had been wearing black garments and chanted “we want justice” within the presence of police. They raised slogans towards police as properly.
Tension prevailed on the campus as protesting college students confronted college and police officers, questioning “if nothing had happened on the campus”, why the college on Sunday night declared September 19 and 20 as “non-teaching days”, thus a vacation for college students.
They demanded an apology from the police and district administration for calling the objectionable movies of some college students as ‘rumours’. They claimed the accused lady had admitted she had made the movies.
Despite repeated efforts by the college authorities to finish the contemporary protest, college students continued with it. The college authorities even sought a listing of their calls for to finish the stalemate. There was heavy deployment of police on the campus.
Students demanded that the statements of these feminine college students whose movies, they alleged, bought leaked, be recorded earlier than representatives of scholars.
Several college students individually put forth their calls for earlier than the college authorities on many points together with altering hostel wardens, rest in timings for hostel entry, and issues of safety.
A scholar claimed the movies had been made which had been later deleted and the accused scholar’s telephone was additionally damaged.
Another scholar claimed greater than 10 women ladies college students suffered panic assaults Saturday night fearing that MMS movies of “50-60 girls had” been leaked by the arrested scholar to her boyfriend over telephone.
She claimed that the boy’s hostel had been transformed into a lady’s hostel just lately and lacked amenities, whereas even CCTV cameras had not been put in in each hall.
Some college students additionally alleged that the college was attempting to implement a costume code for feminine college students.
“We want that all investigation should be held with transparency,” mentioned a protesting lady scholar whereas additionally demanding that “hostels should not be made jails”.
Deputy Inspector General of Police G PS Bhullar and Deputy Commissioner Amit Talwar instructed the protesters {that a} Special Investigation Team headed by a senior lady IPS officer shall be fashioned for an in-depth investigation.
“It is our duty to clear every apprehension of the children,” mentioned Bhullar.
Dr Arvinder Singh Kang, Director, Students Welfare of the University, tried to pacify the protesters.
A scholar was additionally introduced earlier than them and he or she claimed that she was wonderful and nobody had tried suicide.
Mohali’s SSP Vivek Sheel Soni confronted the ire of agitated college students after he instructed reporters that the protests occurred after “rumours” that movies of a number of ladies college students had been made and leaked.
Soni mentioned the arrested scholar’s cell phone has been seized for forensic evaluation and added that no suicide try by any scholar or dying has occurred.
An FIR beneath IPC part 354-C (voyeurism) and the IT Act has been registered within the matter and additional probe is on, officers mentioned.
Chief Minister Mann ordered the probe into the incident, saying strict motion shall be taken towards these discovered responsible.
“Our daughters are our honour. A high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident.”
“I am in touch with the administration,” mentioned Mann, who’s in Germany, interesting to individuals to not imagine rumours.
WATCH |
The incident sparked a flurry of reactions from political events and the central and state ladies’s rights organisations too stepped in.
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party nationwide convener Arvind Kejriwal mentioned these concerned within the incident will get the “harshest punishment”.
Punjab State Women Commission Chairperson Manisha Gulati visited the college campus.
In an announcement, the National Commission for Women (NCW) mentioned its chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to the Director General of Police of Punjab to take care of the matter strictly and with none laxity.
The victims have to be given correct counselling and their security and safety have to be ensured, the NCW mentioned.
The ladies’s rights physique has additionally written to Vice Chancellor, Chandigarh University to take stringent motion towards the culprits in accordance with the legislation and examine the matter extensively.
Opposition leaders together with Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, former chief minister Amarinder Singh, Shiromani Akali Dal chief and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and senior Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa demanded a free and honest probe and exemplary punishment for the responsible.
Badal mentioned authorities ought to make all info public and never attempt to suppress something.
Following accusations of scholars that they had been lathi-charged on Saturday throughout their protest, Mohali Deputy Commissioner Amit Talwar instructed them a magisterial inquiry shall be carried out into it.
University authorities mentioned that the demand of protesting college students concerning enjoyable hostel timings has been agreed to.
The college administration and the police instructed {that a} college students’ committee be fashioned to carry additional talks with the college administration concerning their varied different points.
DC Talwar additionally assured the scholars that no protesting scholar shall be rusticated from the school.
Meanwhile, in Himachal Pradesh, DGP Sanjay Kundu mentioned the state police reacted to the request of Punjab Police with sensitivity and professionalism and nabbed a 23-year-old man from Rohru in Shimla within the case.
Kundu in a tweet additional mentioned, “If any collateral evidence comes our way, we will take action as per law.”
He additional mentioned a 31-year-old man, a resident of Tehsil Theog, was detained at Dhalli in Shimla, including that he was taken by the Punjab Police to inquire his involvement within the case.
Briefing reporters on the college campus, ADGP Deo, who additionally holds the cost of ladies and youngster affairs, mentioned many rumours in regards to the case had been circulating on varied social media platforms.
“There are 4,000 girl students who live in the hostel. One has been arrested by police. Her phone has been taken into police possession and state cyber crime is conducting its analysis”.
Deo mentioned that three to 4 woman college students noticed the accused scholar within the widespread washroom the place she was taking some photos together with her telephone “which they thought she was taking from underneath the bathroom door…They then reported the matter to the warden and subsequently the police were informed”.
“I want to clarify after interaction with the group of girls they are happy that their concerns have been addressed. Their concern was if there is any video of other girls on her phone. Prima facie we did not come across any video of other girls,” ADG DEO mentioned.
In an announcement right here, Chandigarh University Pro-Chancellor R S Bawa mentioned there are rumours that women have dedicated suicide whereas the actual fact is that no woman has tried any such step.
“No girl has been admitted to hospital in the incident,” he mentioned.
Bawa mentioned, “There is another rumour which is circulating through media that an objectionable MMS has been found of different students. This is totally false and baseless.”
Mohali SSP Soni mentioned, “If you look at the sequence of events so far now, in our investigation it has come to notice that the video was only of herself. Apart from this, there is no video of any other (student).”
In a video that surfaced on social media, just a few college students had been purportedly seen confronting the scholar who’s accused of constructing the movies.
Referring to a video of a scholar being taken in an ambulance, the SSP Soni mentioned she had some nervousness issues and was wonderful.
Replying to a query on the hostel warden, the SSP mentioned she questioned the girl scholar, who was later arrested, to search out data on whether or not she had made a video of another scholar.
Notably, in a video, the warden is purportedly seen asking the girl scholar, “Who told you to record the video?..You will be suspended”.
The warden is then seen pointing in the direction of some ladies college students who’re additionally current, and may very well be heard saying, “Don’t these girls have honour? At whose behest did you do this? Who told you to make it?”
