No outsiders at LPU, walkie-talkie carriers were Army men: Punjab Police - The Indian Express
The people carrying walkie-talkie sets who were found on the Lovely Professional University (LPU) campus in Punjab’s Phagwara during the students’ unrest have turned out to be Indian Army officers and personnel from a Special Forces battalion of the Parachute Regiment.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Naveen Singla, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Jalandhar Range, said the police questioned the men after finding them carrying the walkie-talkie sets and established that they were Army personnel.
“They had come to collect the ward of an Army officer, and they were not intruders of any kind,” Singla said.
Several political leaders cited the discovery of the walkie-talkie-carrying personnel as evidence that outsiders had been brought onto the LPU campus to create trouble.
Meanwhile, the police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the incident that triggered the unrest at LPU. The team comprises Jalandhar Rural Superintendent of Police (Detective) Vineet Ahlawat, Phagwara SP Major Singh, CIA Staff in-charge Balwinder Singh and Inspector Amanpreet Kaur, along with CCTV experts.
Five student representatives have also been included to assist with the investigation.
Singla said he held a meeting Monday with the LPU vice-chancellor, other university officials, and student representatives to discuss their grievances and work towards resolving them.
“There are certain demands of the students which they have conveyed to the LPU authorities and which will be addressed. Everything is peaceful now and around 14,000 students have left for their homes after the announcement of a ten-day break,” he said.
The DIG said he also met a girl staying in one of the hostels, from where complaints had emerged, and spoke to them in detail. He said the students had certain apprehensions, following which the police decided to register an FIR and conduct a detailed investigation into the matter.
On Monday, Gaurav Yadav, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab, visited the LPU campus and spoke to the media following the student unrest.
Yadav said the trouble began on the night of September 26-27 after rumours of certain incidents on campus. A large number of students gathered, following which there was vandalism and part of a gate was set on fire.
“The police had made a conscious decision not to use force against students as they are like our children and instead acted as a bridge between students and the university administration,” Yadav said.
He added that they held discussions with students and the university administration to address their grievances, including the demand for only women staff in girls’ hostels.
Yadav said those responsible for arson and vandalism would face strict action, irrespective of their position. The police are examining CCTV footage and investigating whether outsiders were involved, he added.
He also appealed to people not to spread or believe unverified rumours.
