A minor student of Lovely Professional University (LPU) has been arrested in connection with the violence and vandalism that took place at the university campus in Phagwara. The student was identified through CCTV and other digital evidence and was arrested from Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, according to reports.
The student is a native of Mandi and is enrolled at LPU. Police identified him from footage showing him climbing onto a decommissioned MiG-23UM fighter aircraft displayed on the university campus. Photographs and videos of the student sitting and standing on the aircraft went viral on social media during the unrest. One widely circulated photograph showed him on top of the aircraft with flames visible in the background.
The MiG-23 was among the military exhibits on the LPU campus that became part of the visuals from the protests. Videos from the violence also showed students climbing onto a military tank displayed at the university. LPU Chancellor and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal said the aircraft and the tank, which was used in the 1971 war, had been displayed to honour the armed forces and inspire young people. He described climbing onto the exhibits during the violence as disrespectful to the armed forces.
The arrest comes as Punjab Police continue investigating the wider campus violence. The unrest began after unverified social media reports alleged that a female student had been raped by an outsider. LPU denied the rumours, while police subsequently registered a case and began investigating the allegation. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has also sought a status report from the Punjab government regarding the incident and the social media claims that preceded the violence.
During the protests, students blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara stretch of National Highway 44. University property was damaged, and reports also documented arson, vandalism and clashes involving police. Punjab Police registered multiple FIRs in connection with the violence, including allegations involving attempt to murder, assault on public servants, robbery and property damage.
Police have since begun identifying people allegedly involved in the violence using CCTV footage and other digital evidence. Five people had been reported arrested in connection with the violence by October 2, with around 20 people named in the FIRs in reports citing police sources. The investigation into the individual roles of those identified is continuing.
