हाई कोर्ट ने LPU दंगों पर रिपोर्ट का आग्रह किया, जिम्मेदार कौन?

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday sought a detailed status report from the Punjab government over violence at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, asking authorities to spell out who was responsible and what action had been taken or was proposed against those involved.

The court issued the direction while hearing a petition seeking a CBI investigation into the unrest that followed social media claims of sexual assault at the university. It has not yet taken a decision on the demand for a CBI probe. The matter will next be heard on Oct. 8.

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The petitioner alleged that an unverified social media post claiming that two women students had been raped and had died by suicide triggered protests that later descended into violence and vandalism.

Additional Solicitor General Satya Pal Jain, appearing for the Centre, said after the hearing that the circumstances behind the unrest needed to be investigated.

“The important thing is to find out who was behind it,” Jain said. “If it was a planned conspiracy, the matter should be investigated to its roots.”

The petition also questioned the Punjab Police response, alleging that effective action was not taken in time to prevent the situation from deteriorating. Punjab told the court that cases had been registered and investigations were under way.

The petitioner also raised the blockade of the Phagwara-Jalandhar stretch of the national highway during the protests, arguing that disruption of the strategic road had security implications as the route provides a key road link towards Jammu and Kashmir.

Jain said disruption of the corridor could assume serious significance during a security emergency because it connects Punjab with the border region.

“Even a blockade of 15 minutes or half an hour can become a major security concern if there is tension on the border,” Jain said, explaining the petitioner’s argument.

The unrest erupted at LPU after an allegation of sexual assault circulated on social media. Police subsequently constituted a Special Investigation Team to investigate the allegation as well as the violence. No finding establishing the sexual-assault allegation has been announced by investigators so far.

The petitioner has also alleged that people from outside the university participated in the violence and attacked vehicles and property.

The plea has sought transfer of the investigation from Punjab Police to the CBI, but the High Court has for now sought the state’s response before proceeding further on that request.

The court asked Punjab to provide details of the action taken after the unrest, those identified as responsible and the action already taken or proposed against them.

The state is expected to place its detailed response before the High Court when the case comes up for hearing on Oct. 8.

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