A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a court-monitored investigation by an independent agency, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), into the recent violence at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara was filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday.
The petition has been filed by an LPU student. It is expected to come up for hearing on Wednesday before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor. A copy of the petition was not available when this report was filed.
The PIL comes two days after violent protests broke out at the university campus following the circulation of unverified claims on social media and through word of mouth that a female student had allegedly been sexually assaulted inside a hostel.
The protest, which initially involved students raising concerns over the alleged incident, later escalated into stone-pelting, vandalism, arson and damage to property. Shops and other facilities on the campus were also damaged. Protesters also blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway (NH-44), disrupting traffic in the area.
Police personnel were deployed in large numbers as the situation deteriorated. The violence also led to damage to vehicles and other property on the campus.
The sexual-assault claim remains a key part of the ongoing investigation. Punjab Police has registered a case against an unidentified person and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the allegations and the events that followed. Police are examining CCTV footage, videos and other evidence to establish what happened and identify those involved in the violence.
LPU officials have denied that the alleged sexual-assault incident took place on campus and have described the claims as fabricated rumours. Police have also said that their preliminary inquiry and examination of available CCTV footage did not substantiate the allegation.
Following the unrest, LPU suspended classes for 10 days from September 28 and postponed mid-term examinations until further notice.
The newly filed PIL now puts the demand for an independent, court-monitored investigation before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.