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Even as protests continued at the Chandigarh University campus over a female student allegedly recording and sharing 'objectionable' videos of other female students, the Himachal Pradesh Police late on Sunday, 18 September, confirmed that they had arrested suspects in the case.
After conducting a preliminary probe, the police arrested a woman student, while a 23-year-old man, who is reportedly her boyfriend, was nabbed from Himachal Pradesh and handed over to the Punjab Police, news agency PTI reported.
The Himachal Pradesh Police also detained a 31-year-old man in connection with the case.
The police have registered a case against the female student under Section 354C (pertaining to voyeurism) of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Her phone has also been sent for forensic analysis.
Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had condemned the incident, adding that strict action had been initiated.
"Sad to hear about the unfortunate incident at Chandigarh University...our daughters are our honour...a high level inquiry has been ordered into the incident...severe action will be taken against whoever is found guilty," said Mann, in a tweet in Punjabi. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty, he added.
Punjab's Additional Director General of Police Gurpreet Deo, who reached the Chandigarh University campus along with other senior officials to take stock of the situation after the Saturday night protests, told reporters that the woman student appeared to have shared a video of herself with the youth and no objectionable video of any other student was found, according to PTI.
A huge protest broke out on the campus of the university in Mohali on Saturday, 17 September, after objectionable videos of approximately 60 girls in the hostel bathroom were leaked on the internet.
Police personnel reached the protest site and arrested one of the students in the matter.
Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains called for the protesters to remain calm, in a tweet, saying that the guilty will not be spared.
"It is a very sensitive matter and relates to dignity of our sisters and daughters. We all including media should be very very cautious, it was also test of ours now as a society," he said.
Visuals of the students allegedly not being allowed to protest also emerged, showing the campus gates being hurriedly locked.
'No Suicide Attempts, Girls Were Fainting': Punjab Police
Earlier, Navreet Singh Virk, SP Rural Mohali, told The Quint that some students indulged in violence. He also dismissed rumours of some girls trying to attempt suicide as false.
"The university called for ambulances. Since a huge crowd gathered and it was humid and many of the students were fainting. We did not have any first aid with us so the university called for ambulances. There was no suicide attempt," said Virk.
Meanwhile, several social media posts have claimed that the authorities are attempting to cover up the incident.
We Appeal Not To Believe Rumors, Says Pro-Chancellor
In a statement, Chandigarh University dismissed "the rumours of seven girls committing suicide."
"No student committed suicide. Preliminary probe reveals that the accused girl had sent her own pics/videos to her boyfriend. No other material found. FIR filed. Police probing it. I appeal to students & parents not to believe in any rumour [sic]," Dr RS Bawa, Pro-Chancellor of Chandigarh University told ANI.
"... Whereas the fact is that no girl has attempted any such step. No girl has been admitted to hospital in the incident," the university had earlier said.
"All the rumours of objectionable videos shot of other girl students are totally false and baseless. No videos were found of any student which are objectionable except a personal video shot by a girl which was shared by her with her boyfriend," the University added.
NCW Takes Note of Incident
The National Commission for Women has taken serious note of the incident. Rekha Sharma, the NCR chairperson, has written to the DIG, Punjab, to immediately file an FIR against the accused and deal with the matter strictly. The panel has also written to the vice chancellor of Chandigarh University, to take action against the culprits.
"This is a serious matter. An investigation is underway. I am here to assure parents of all students that the accused won't be spared," said Manisha Gulati, chairperson of the Punjab State Women Commission.
Meanwhile, a large number of students gathered at the Chandigarh University campus in Mohali on Sunday, 18 September, demanding justice over the alleged video leak.
Several students have accused the university authorities of “suppressing” the incident.
(With inputs from PTI, Hindustan Times and ANI.)
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