Protests broke out at Chandigarh University located in Punjab's Mohali after allegations emerged that objectionable and private videos of several women students had been recorded and ‘leaked’. The students have alleged that these videos were recorded by a woman student, who later sent them to her boyfriend. However, the police have denied students’ claims that objectionable videos have been recorded of other students, but has set up a special investigation team to probe the allegations.
After a preliminary investigation, the police have arrested the woman student accused of taking these videos, while a 23-year-old youth, stated to be her boyfriend, was held in Himachal Pradesh and handed over to the Punjab police. The Himachal Police also detained another 31-year-old man in connection with the case. The university on Monday, September 19, suspended two hostel wardens for negligence and also declared "non-teaching days" till September 24.
Here’s an explainer on what exactly happened:
— The protests broke out on Saturday evening, over allegations that objectionable videos of several women students in toilets and washrooms were recorded by a fellow woman student, and were allegedly leaked. A large number of students, including male, were part of the protests, and many accused the university authorities of "suppressing facts" related to the alleged videos and '"suicide attempt'' by a student. Most of the protesters were dressed in black clothes and chanted "we want justice" in the presence of police. They raised slogans against the police as well. A student claimed the videos were made which were later deleted and the accused student's phone was also broken.
— While the students have alleged that around “that MMS videos of 50-60 girls had been leaked by the arrested student to her boyfriend over the phone”, the police have denied these charges. The police have said the woman student appeared to have shared a video of only herself and no objectionable video of any other student was found.
— Punjab's Additional Director General of Police, Gurpreet Deo, who reached the Chandigarh University campus to take stock of the situation after the Saturday night protests, said that the woman student appeared to have shared a video of herself with the 23-year-old man, who seems to be her boyfriend, and no objectionable video of any other student was found.
— 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".
— ADGP Deo added that 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,” he said.
— University authorities also rejected as "false and baseless" reports that claimed videos of several women students in the varsity hostel were made and leaked on social media and that distraught students had attempted suicide.
— Deputy Inspector General of Police GPS Bhullar and Deputy Commissioner Amit Talwar told the protesters that a Special Investigation Team headed by a senior woman IPS officer will be formed for an in-depth investigation.
— Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Vivek Sheel Soni said the arrested student's mobile phone has been seized for a forensic analysis and added that no suicide attempt by any student or death has occurred. 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.
— On Monday, the university suspended two wardens for negligence and also declared "non-teaching days" till September 24. It has also formed a joint committee comprising students and senior functionaries to address certain issues pertaining to hostel timings and other demands of the students, sources in the varsity said. The university in a tweet said, "We are always with our students, be it their academic aspirations or their safety and well-being. We will leave no stone unturned to live it upto this commitment towards our students."
— Chief Minister Mann has ordered a probe into the incident, saying strict action will be taken against those found guilty. "Our daughters are our honour... a high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident. I am in touch with the administration,” said Mann, who is in Germany, appealing to people not to believe rumours.
— In a statement, the National Commission for Women (NCW) said its chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to the Director General of Police of Punjab to deal with the matter strictly and without any laxity. The victims must be given proper counselling and their safety and security must be ensured, the NCW said. The women's rights body has also written to Vice Chancellor, Chandigarh University to take stringent action against the culprits in accordance with the law and investigate the matter extensively.