CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police has registered a case following massive protests that broke out on the campus of a private university (Chandigarh University) on Saturday following 'rumours’ that objectionable videos of the girl students were recorded and made viral.
An FIR under IPC section 354-C (voyeurism) and the IT Act has been registered in the matter and further probe is on, officials said.
The university management and the district administration however rejected reports that videos of several girls were made and shared on social media.
After a preliminary investigation, police arrested a girl student and dispatched a team to apprehend a youth in Himachal Pradesh.
It later came out that the accused girl had shared her own video.
Senior Superintendent of Police of SAS Nagar Vivek Sheel Soni said that during the preliminary investigation it has come out that a girl student, who had been apprehended, had shared her own video with someone stated to be from Himachal Pradesh whose role is also under the scanner.
"So far in our preliminary investigation, it has come out that there is only one video of the accused girl and she has not recorded any other video of anyone else. Electronic devices and mobile phones have been taken into custody and will be sent for forensic examination,’’ Soni said.
The protests took place past midnight at Chandigarh University campus located on Ludhiana-Chandigarh road which lasted till early morning.
Sources said that three girls living in the girls' hostel approached the warden and claimed that one of the girl students had been making objectionable videos. The students alleged that a girl student made videos of girl students while they were taking bath in the hostel and later she sent them to a boy in Shimla who uploaded those videos on social media. 60 such videos were leaked, they alleged.
The protesting students also claimed that after the videos went viral, girl students living in the hostel attempted suicide. These claims were rejected by officials.
In a video, the college hostel warden is purportedly seen asking the woman student, "Who told you to record the video? You will be suspended". The warden is then seen pointing toward some other women students who are also present, and could be heard saying, "Don't these girls have honour? At whose behest did you do this? Who told you to make it?"
The video of the warden, which is being circulated on social media has been made purposely, an official said. "The warden was crosschecking the allegations made by the three students living in the hostel,’’ he said.
Soni also said, "No one tried to commit suicide, these were all rumours. One student who was taken in an ambulance was suffering from anxiety and our team is in contact with her.’’
Briefing reporters at the university campus, Punjab's Additional Director General of Police, Gurpreet Deo, who is also holding the charge of women and child affairs, said many rumours about the case were circulating on various 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 said that three to four girl students spotted the accused student in the common washroom where she was taking some pictures with her phone "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".
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Dr Arvinder Singh Kang, Director, Students Welfare of Chandigarh University said, "At the preliminary level, we investigated and did not find that videos of other students were made."
Meanwhile, Dr RS Bawa, Pro-Chancellor of Chandigarh University dismissed rumours while saying, "There are rumours that seven girls have committed suicide whereas the fact is that no girl has attempted any such step. No girl has been admitted to the hospital in the incident. There is another rumour circulating through media that 60 objectionable MMSes have been found of different students. This is totally false and baseless. During the preliminary investigation conducted by the university, there have been no videos found of any student which are objectionable except a personal video shot by a girl which was shared by herself to her boyfriend. All the rumours of objectionable videos shot of other girl students are totally false and baseless. On the request received by the students, Chandigarh University has itself handed over the further investigation to the Punjab Police.’’
Punjab State Women Commission took cognisance of the matter. "This is a serious matter, an investigation is going on and I want to assure the parents that the accused will not be spared,’’ said Manisha Gulati, Chairperson of Punjab State Women Commission.
Describing the incident at Chandigarh University as unfortunate, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has ordered a high-level probe into the matter.
Mann said that he is peeved to learn about the entire matter and has asked the district administration to undertake an in-depth enquiry about the incident. He categorically said that anyone found guilty will not be spared and severest of action will be taken against the perpetrators of this heinous crime.
Mann also warned that strict action will also be taken against those who are spreading canards regarding this sensitive issue.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal condemned the incident. He tweeted: "A girl recorded objectionable videos of many girl students in Chandigarh University and made them viral. This is very serious and shameful. All the culprits involved in this will get the harshest punishment. Victim girls have courage. We all are with you. Act with patience."
(With online desk inputs)