In view of the upcoming Panjab University student council elections, UT police have beefed up security in and around the university by deploying 40 extra police officials.
A police post is already situated on PU campus and extra cops have been deployed on campus to check hooliganism during the election campaigning. Traffic police and PCR vans will also be deployed round the clock to keep tabs on anti-social elements till the elections.
Police also put up barricades on the PU campus to stop free movement of vehicles. There are plans to totally restrict the movement of vehicles in a few areas at night. Police personnel have also been checking vehicles entering the PU campus and seizing sticks, iron rods as well as other objectionable items.
Police are also preparing a list of potential troublemakers during elections in PU and city colleges. Police would book such troublemakers, student leaders and others under preventive measures. Then they must appear before the SDM’s court, and all the students booked will have to furnish surety bonds.
Last year, cops had booked 92 troublemakers during the PUCSC polls under preventive measures. These troublemakers had furnished surety bonds in the SDM court. As the polling date comes near, cops would also conduct surprise checking in hostels to check the presence of outsiders.
On Aug 7, UT SSP Kanwardeep Kaur held a meeting with PU officials and student organizations and sensitized student leaders and parties, instructing them to adhere to PU guidelines and refrain from engaging in any illegal activities during the election campaign. The SSP had also advised all representatives of the student organizations to avoid engaging in ragging activities and to counsel students against participating in such behaviour. The party president or secretary of the concerned party will be held accountable for any incidents of violence. Weapons of any kind, including police-licensed weapons, are prohibited on the PU campus.
Student organizations at PU campus were also instructed not to deface buildings, walls, trees, floors, poles, or any other property on the campus.
