Chandigarh, Nov 17: Chandigarh Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified students and outsiders for allegedly assaulting police personnel during a protest at Panjab University (PU) on November 10. The demonstration, led by the Panjab University Bachao Morcha, reportedly turned violent when protesters attempted to force their way into the campus.
The FIR, filed on the statement of Sub-Inspector Partibha of Sector 31 police station, comes after four police officers, including DSP SPS Sondhi, sustained injuries during clashes at Gate Number 1, opposite PGIMER. The gate had been barricaded with an iron chain, permitting entry only to students, staff, and campus residents, under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which prohibits gatherings of five or more people.
According to the FIR, around 2-3 pm, a large crowd of outsiders gathered outside Gate Number 1, while PU students inside the campus allegedly began breaking the iron chain and gate lock with stones. “When we tried to stop them, they pushed and shoved officers, forcing the gate open,” SI Partibha noted. The group then allegedly entered the campus as an “illegal assembly,” disrupting peace and order.
During the confrontation, DSP Sondhi, Inspector Rohit Kumar, Senior Constable Vipin Sharma, and SI Partibha received medical treatment at GMSH, Sector 16. Police stated the accused obstructed duty, disobeyed prohibitory orders, and used criminal force against officials. While the identities of the protesters remain unknown, SI Partibha said she could identify them if presented before her.
The FIR cites multiple sections of the BNSS, including 221 (obstructing a public servant), 223 (disobedience to orders), 190 (unlawful assembly), 191(2) (rioting), 115(2) and 121(1) (causing hurt to a public servant), and 132 (using criminal force to prevent public servant duties).
The university had also filed a complaint alleging trespassing and property damage during the protest. Police investigations are ongoing, and footage captured by government videographers at the site will aid in identifying the accused.
The agitation stemmed from a now-revoked notification by the Centre to alter the PU senate structure. The Bachao Morcha has continued its protest, demanding a schedule for the long-pending senate elections. PU had sent a poll schedule for approval on November 9 and appealed for calm, but the protest led to a university shutdown on November 10, creating chaos in Chandigarh and Mohali.
The morcha also announced a complete boycott of semester exams starting November 18, prompting the university to defer them by three days. Punjab and Haryana High Court had urged students to return to classes. Amarjit Singh Naura, president of the Punjab University Teachers’ Association, stated, “With a key demand already addressed by the Centre, we urge all stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue so that academic activities are not disrupted any further.” Negotiations continue between a five-member PU professors’ committee and the students, who have demanded withdrawal of all FIRs.
