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On the night of Saturday the 17th of September, protesters flooded the campus of Chandigarh University amid the alleged leaking of “private” and “objectionable” videos of female students of the University and claims that University management is trying to suppress the incident.
Chandigarh University, established in 2012, is a National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) A+ Grade accredited university with its campus situated in Mohali, Punjab. The institution is also ranked among Asia's best and fastest-growing universities, as claimed by the University itself.
As per the First Information Report (FIR) registered against the accused student under Section 66-E of the IT Act and 354-C of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), six female students had complained about another female hostel resident recording them in the washroom, without their consent. Some reports state that up to sixty women may have been recorded.
Chaos broke out as students have emerged in large numbers to protest and voice their concerns over the past few days. Numerous videos and pictures subsequently circulated the internet, depicting unconscious female students being evacuated from the scene of the protests. Social media users claimed that some of the victims had attempted suicide, however Mohali Deputy Commissioner (DC) Amit Talwar categorically denied these claims, stating: "There was misinformation that several girls have committed suicide over the video which is completely false. One girl fainted due to anxiety following which she was taken to the hospital which was misrepresented as a suicide attempt." University representatives have refuted certain rumours which have been spread on social media, and which have consequently spread panic among the students.
On Sunday, the Punjab government ordered a probe into the allegations of the videos being shot and circulated on social media, and promised that severe action would be taken against the guilty parties.
The police dismissed the allegations that the videos of the women showering had been circulated online, instead believing they had been shared solely with one other person. Police have arrested a female student of the University under the Information Technology Act. There are allegations that the student had blackmailed her victims; demanding money from them, so that she would not leak the recordings. She was accused of sharing the videos with a man in Shimla, and police are enquiring whether a third person may also be involved. Two men, aged 23 and 31, have been arrested; the former is thought to be the female student's boyfriend.
An unverified video of the girl who allegedly took and shared the videos admitting to her crime is circulating the internet.
The cellphone of the accused was checked by the manager of the hostel, but she could not find any video of other girls showering, recalling: "[The accused student] denied filming other girls, but she was also continuously receiving calls from a number. I asked her to put her cellphone on speaker, and a man on the other side said, 'Tell the boy to send the videos to me.' He also shared the screenshot of an objectionable video on her number."
As the protests did not stop after Sunday evening, the University suspended classes for two days.
The police and the Pro-Chancellor of the University have discredited the claim of any student trying to commit suicide and getting hospitalized. In addition, the Mohali Police Chief, Vivek Soni, has confirmed that only one video has been discovered, and that is a video taken by the accused of herself, and of nobody else. That video was sent to her boyfriend.
The mobile phone of the accused has been sent for forensic tests, and the area around the bathroom is being investigated for any potential hidden cameras.
The national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party condemned the incident, labelling it "very serious and shameful", warning that those found guilty would be punished severely. Meanwhile, the chief minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, asked the public to remain calm, reassuring them that a thorough investigation is being conducted, and that he has been in contact with the administration.
Meanwhile, Harjot Singh Bains, Minister of School Education, tweeted: "I humbly request all the students of Chandigarh University to remain calm, no one guilty will be spared. It's a very sensitive matter & relates to dignity of our sisters & daughters. We all including media should be very very cautious, it is also test of ours now as a society."
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