Patiala, March 5
In a dramatic development, a criminal case was registered against the Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor, Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia today for attempting to murder a university Reader who was injured in an attack by a group of students led by a former youth leader.

The VC is already in the midst of a controversy following the registration of an FIR against him at the instance of a girl student who has accused him of making lewd gestures at her during official functions.

The local police has registered cases of attempt to murder ( 307), forcibly stopping someone ( 341), and under 148 and 149 including attack by more than five persons against the Vice-Chancellor, former youth leader Bhupinder Singh Cheema and other persons who have not been identified.

According to the police, the Reader, Dr H.S. Bhatti, was attacked outside the varsity gate facing Urban Estate by B.S. Cheema and his associates. District police chief Paramraj Singh Umranangal said Dr Bhatti had been hit with kirpans and rods and admitted to Government Rajindra hospital. He said two shots had also been fired from a .12 bore gun by the assailants. While one shot was fired in the air, the other was aimed at the victim who, however, was saved because he lay down on the ground.

However, Dr Ahluwalia, while talking to TNS, said the local police was playing a partisan role in the case to “please its political masters” and that he had taken casual leave from the university Chancellor and Punjab Governor, Lieut Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd), yesterday to get himself tested at the Fortis Health Institute at Mohali. He said he had undergone a series of tests yesterday at the health institute and remained in Chandigarh today also. He said he was to undergo tests till March 8 according to the schedule drawn up by doctors at the institute.

Speaking about the role of the student leader, who is perceived to be close to him, he said it could be that the student leader was being used as a tool to implicate him. He said it was for the police to check the activities of Cheema on the varsity campus as it had banned his entry into the campus. He said he was wary that such a conspiracy might be hatched against him and had deliberately closed the varsity for two days. “If I wanted to create trouble I would not have closed the varsity,” he added.

According to sources, a clash took place between Cheema and members of the joint action committee in which Cheema had to beat a hasty retreat. They said following this, Cheema returned with sharp-edged weapons and some supporters and attacked Dr Bhatti who was standing at the varsity gate. Doctors at Rajindra Hospital said Dr Bhatti had suffered minor injuries involving soft tissue injuries and abrasions. Dr Bhatti, while talking to TNS, said the attack was conspired at the instance of the Vice-Chancellor.

Meanwhile, the district police chief said at a press conference that the police was also investigating leads that a hoax call made yesterday claiming a bomb had been planted at the district courts had been made at the behest of the Vice-Chancellor whose bail plea was to be entertained there. He said a notice had also been sent to the VC yesterday asking him to join the investigation in the case relating to complaint filed by Saru Rana but the notice was still to be received by him.