Chandigarh University video leak case: Accused girl’s WhatsApp chats suggest she was being ‘blackmailed’ for making videos

PTI

Chandigarh, September 20

A Special Investigation Team of the Punjab Police on Tuesday questioned the three accused arrested in connection with the Chandigarh University video case after allegations were levelled that a hosteller had recorded several objectionable videos of women students in the common washroom.

Three persons -- a woman student and two men from Himachal Pradesh -- have been arrested. One of them was said to be the student's boyfriend.

The police have also found some purported screenshots of WhatsApp chats on the mobile of the woman student with one of the accused, suggesting that she was being "blackmailed" for making videos, sources said, adding that the name of a fourth suspect has also come up during probe.

The fourth suspect will be summoned for questioning, they added.

A senior police official said they are waiting for the forensic report of the mobile phone which will throw light on the complete WhatsApp chat to corroborate this.

"We questioned the three accused today," said a police official.

Protests rocked the university campus in Punjab's Mohali on Saturday night over the issue. Some students even claimed that the videos recorded by the woman student were even leaked.

The Punjab Police had on Monday formed a three-member all-women special investigation team to probe the allegations levelled by the students of university.

A court in Mohali's Kharar had sent the three accused, including the woman student, to seven-day police remand on Monday.

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General of Police GPS Bhullar on Tuesday evening said the SIT also visited the washroom at Chandigarh University. Notably, students of the varsity had alleged that some objectionable videos were made by the accused hosteller.

The hostel warden was also summoned for questioning, said Bhullar. He said the data of the mobile phones of three accused will be retrieved by the state cyber cell of the Punjab Police.

Bhullar said the SIT would investigate the allegations of the women students about videos. "No loose end will be left," he said.

The state forensic expert also visited the wash room, said Bhullar. He assured that the investigation into the matter will be impartial and fair.

Police had earlier said the arrested student shared a video of only herself with a 23-year-old "boyfriend" and no objectionable video of any other student was found.

University authorities too rejected as "false and baseless" reports that claimed videos of several woman students in the varsity hostel were made and leaked on social media and distraught students had attempted suicide after the episode.

The students, however, had accused the university authorities of "suppressing facts".  

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