M A I N   N E W S

Seven student leaders booked
Security beefed up on Pbi varsity campus
Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 12
A day after the failure of talks of students of Punjabi University on the issue of revocation of the suspension of student leaders, the local police today swung into action and registered cases against seven student leaders, who had earlier led an agitation calling for the withdrawal of the fee hike.

The Sadar police has registered cases under Sections 341, 506, 353 and 186 of the IPC, which relate to criminal trespass, threatening and illegally stopping someone from performing duties. The cases have been registered against Gurnam Singh Virk, Gurpal Singh Dhaliwal, Swaranjit Singh, Gurtej Teji, Sukhjit Singh Chahal, Bikramjit Singh Jattana and Kartar Singh Cheema. Earlier, the university had suspended five students, besides banning the entry of seven former students into the campus.

Student leaders of the Punjabi University Students Confederation today organised a press conference at a residence.

Confederation leaders Raminder Singh Patiala, Gurnam Singh Virk and Swaranjit Singh said they would hold a protest rally in front of the university gate on September 16. They said following this a district-level protest would be organised in the city, from where students and representatives of various organisations would proceed to the residence of the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, to demand his intervention in the matter. The student leaders said protests would be organised all over the state on the day, during the course of which effigies of the Chief Minister would be burnt.

The student leaders maintained that Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh had sided with the university authorities during the course of talks yesterday. They said the Deputy Speaker had also not stuck to the terms of the agreement announced by him on September 1. They said during the course of the talks yesterday, the Deputy Speaker and the administration had threatened them, saying that cases would be registered against them if they did not sign the draft agreement made by the Deputy Speaker. The students said they wanted the Chief Minister to clear his position on the issue.

Meanwhile, sources disclosed that students had started moves to garner support. Pamphlets highlighting the negotiations with the Deputy Speaker and the stand of the confederation of the students were circulated among students today by their sympathisers.

The local police has stepped up security on the campus, with policemen equipped with riot shields.

The university authorities today announced that the situation on the campus was near normal, with most of the departments opening today. A university spokesman, Dr Baldev Singh Sandhu, said the remaining four or five departments would be opened in a phased manner. The university has constituted a high-level disciplinary committee to look into cases of students involved in unruly scenes.