Chandigarh, March 20
Issuing notice of motion for April 3, Mr Justice M.L. Singhal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today ordered that Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor, Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, will not be arrested till then in the Saru Rana case.
The VC was apprehending arrest in the case registered on February 19 initially under Sections 341, 294, 354, 506 and 120-B, IPC, but Sections 376 and 511, IPC, were, subsequently, added to the first information report.
In her complaint, postgraduate student Saru Rana had alleged that “wrong things” were happening in the Department of Fine Arts. She had added that the VC, instead of taking action, had forced her to keep her mouth shut.
Seeking directions to the state of Punjab and other respondents to release him on bail in the event of arrest, counsel for the petitioner had contended that the VC was being implicated in the case.
He had added that there was nothing in the complaint except the allegation that the VC was behind “all this” and was making wrong gestures at the complainant during university functions.
The VC in another petition had sought quashing of the FIR. In his 123-page petition, the VC had also sought directions to the state against passing any order on the basis of the allegations in the FIR, besides staying further investigations. Counsel for the petitioner had stated on the VC’s behalf that the FIR was liable to be quashed as the allegations were vague, aimed at implicating the fine arts faculty. He had added that the SSP had ordered prompt registration of the FIR as he was annoyed with certain things.
