Chandigarh University MMS case: Three accused sent to 7-day police remand

Chandigarh: The students of the Chandigarh University - a private university located in the adjoining Mohali district of Punjab - Monday ended their massive protest that had erupted on Saturday over the allegations that a girl student had made and leaked some objectionable videos of fellow girl hostellers to her boyfriend.

The students alleged that the accused girl had made these objectionable videos in the common washroom and leaked them. They also accused the warden of misbehaviour with them when they sought a thorough probe.

Tempers ran high among a large number of students and their guardians across the region with the students protesting and the varsity authorities claiming that the allegations were false and baseless.

However, the students who continued their massive sit-in around the varsity since Saturday night vacated the site around 4 am Monday after police and varsity authorities assured them that all their demands including the fair probe into the case, would be met with.

With the varsity suspending the teaching till September 24, a large number of students and hostellers also returned to their homes.

The main demand of the students was a fair probe as the police and varsity authorities claimed - on the basis of the initial probe - that the accused girl had sent only her video - and not of any other fellow girl hosteller - to her boyfriend.

The students’ objection was that the said claim was without any detailed forensic report. Their other complaint was against the working of hostel wardens while they also sought better privacy in the common washrooms.

The police said that the forensic investigation would zero in on to ascertain whether the videos were shared or uploaded on the internet. It would also analyse the phones and statements of the accused and the authenticity of the students’ allegations.

Meanwhile, the trio accused in the case, the accused 22-year old girl student, her 23-year old boyfriend and another man, 31, (the last two named from Shimla) who had been arrested were presented before Kharar court where they were sent to seven-day police remand.

The police said it had seized the mobile phones of the trion accused.

Meanwhile, the director general of police, Gaurav Yadav formed a three-member all-women special investigation team (SIT) under the supervision of ADGP Gurpreet Kaur. The SIT comprises SP, counter intelligence, Ludhiana, Rupinder Kaur Bhatti as in-charge while the two other members are DSP, Kharar, Rupinder Kaur and DSP Deepika Singh.