NEW DELHI: The Punjab government has ordered a probe following allegations that objectionable videos of some girls students at
were shot and circulated on social media.
The accused girl, also a student at the university, has been arrested, police said. However university officials and police have now given a different version of the entire episode.
Protest erupted on the campus following the rumours, and police had to step in to restore order.
Rumours of objectionable videos shot & circulated
It was alleged that a girl student made videos of other girls taking bath in the hostel, that later went viral on social media. Protesters claimed that some of the affected students attempted suicide following the incident.
However RS Bawa, pro-chancellor, Chandigarh University said “During the preliminary investigation conducted by the university there has been no video found of any student which is objectionable except a personal video shot by a girl which she herself shared with her boyfriend.”
Police too gave a similar version of events.
‘Girls attempted suicide’
Protesters claimed that some girl students living in the hostel attempted suicide following the ‘leaked video’ rumour. Both the pro-VC and police denied this.
“There are rumors that 7 girls have committed suicide whereas the fact is that no girl has attempted any such step. No girl has been admitted to hospital in the incident,” pro-VC Bawa said. SSP Mohali Vivek Soni too denied the “attempted suicide” rumours.
The main accused in the matter is also a girl student staying in a hostel on campus. The police said she has been arrested.
“It is a matter of videos being shot by a girl student and later circulated. FIR was registered in the matter and the accused student was arrested,” SSP Soni said.
It was alleged that she forwarded the videos she had shot to an outsider, who then circulated them on social media.
SSP Soni said no video went viral, but the suspect girl had sent her own videos to her boyfriend in Shimla.
Punjab govt orders probe
Punjab higher education minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Sunday ordered a thorough probe after objectionable videos of some woman students of Chandigarh University went viral on social media.
“I humbly request all the students of Chandigarh University to remain calm, the guilty will not be be spared. It’s a very sensitive matter and relates to dignity of our sisters and daughters. We all including media should be very very cautious, it is also test of ours now as a society,” he tweeted.
AAP, BJP for strict action
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday tweeted that the culprits would get the ‘harshest punishment’.
“All the culprits involved in this will get the harshest punishment,” he said, while urging patience.
Union Minister and BJP leader Som Parkash also demanded strict action against the culprits. “It is an unfortunate incident. Police should take serious action against those involved in this incident so that such incidents do not occur again,” he said.
CM Mann orders probe into Chandigarh University incident
Meanwhile, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has ordered a probe and expressed anguish over the incident, saying that strict action will be taken against those found guilty.
“Sad to hear about the unfortunate incident at Chandigarh University…our daughters are our honour…a high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident…severe action will be taken against whoever is found guilty,” said Mann in a tweet in Punjabi.
“I am in touch with the administration,” said Mann while appealing to people not to believe rumours.
