CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police has zeroed in on around 30 odd people who would have been allegedly involved in the coordinated acts of arson, robbery, and attempt to murder at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara near Jalandhar
Also, a social media influencer is under the scanner of the police.
A senior state police officer privy to the investigation said that the cyber experts zeroed in on the suspects involved in the acts of arson.
"Till date, as per the probe, most of the persons who were suspected to be involved in this violence are outsiders and not students belonging to the university. The investigators are still examining the matter from all angles, but at this stage one could not disclose details of the investigation,’’ he added.
He further said that the authenticity of the particular videos on social media is being verified.
"With more original CCTV footage from the DVRs of the university having been provided, the investigators have fresh material to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to violence on the campus on Sunday,’’ the officer said.
Sources said that one of the videos being examined by the police purportedly shows the social media influencer, who has more than 21,000 followers on Instagram and a verified account, entering the DSW building without covering his face.
Then seconds later, a group of masked and armed protesters are allegedly seen entering the multi-storey building, where CCTV cameras and window panes were damaged.
This influencer was also seen during the protest negotiating with police officials.
In another video, it is purportedly seen that this influencer damaged a statue and other university property.
The social media footage will be compared with the original CCTV recordings by the investigators to corroborate the visuals with witness statements and other evidence, sources said and added that the authenticity and context of the videos circulating on social media must first be established before drawing any conclusions.
In a social media post, the influencer denied allegations that he had brought outsiders to the campus and said that he was being targeted because he was a content creator who had raised several issues during the protest.
"I pointed out every issue that needed attention, whether it was suicide, eve-teasing, or anything else,” he said.
A senior LPU functionary said that the university had received some information about the influencer and would share the available details with the police.