6 JJP activists arrested over ruckus at univ's VC office in Hisar

The Hisar police on Friday arrested six activists of the Jannayak Janata Party in connection with the ruckus at the office of the Vice-Chancellor at Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology (GJUST) on Thursday.

A police spokesperson said a case was registered on the complaint of the university’s proctor office under charges of criminal trespass, rioting, damage to public property and assault on police personnel. The accused involved in the incident were later identified and arrested.

Meanwhile, JJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said the party had tried to raise students’ issues, though some flower pots appeared to have been damaged during the incident at the VC office on Thursday.

Dushyant alleged that the police response was disproportionate and claimed that officers entered the homes of several JJP workers, including a woman leader, during late-night searches. He further alleged that police misbehaved with party workers during the searches.

He said the party was not intimidated by the police action and would continue to fight for students’ rights. He added that JJP leader Digvijay Chautala, along with other party workers, would court arrest before the Hisar police.

The incident took place after the university administration denied permission for a proposed “student dialogue” programme due to security concerns and past experiences.

According to the university’s complaint, around 250 to 260 people gathered at Yadav Dharamshala near the campus and marched towards the university, where they allegedly scuffled with police personnel deployed at Gate No. 3.

The complaint alleged that the group forcibly entered the campus with the intention of disrupting the academic environment. They then proceeded towards the Vice-Chancellor’s office and allegedly engaged in aggressive behaviour, creating panic among staff and students.

It further stated that CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts showed the accused attempting to break the main gate of the VC office, causing damage to university property.

Based on a complaint filed by University Proctor Anil Kumar, the police registered an FIR under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

The six arrested accused were identified as Jitender Sheoran, Vijender, Gaurav, Tarun Goyal, Deepak and Ravinder Kumar alias Ravi Adhana.

Police said some of the arrested individuals, including Jitender Sheoran, already had criminal cases registered against them.

Police teams have questioned the accused and recorded their statements. Further investigation is under way with the help of CCTV footage and technical evidence.