LPU rampage: two more arrested, total arrests rise to 11ਐੱਲਪੀਯੂ ਭੰਨ-ਤੋੜ: ਦੋ ਹੋਰ ਗ੍ਰਿਫ਼ਤਾਰ, ਕੁੱਲ ਗ੍ਰਿਫ਼ਤਾਰੀਆਂ 11 ਹੋਈਆਂ

With two more arrests in the Lovely Professional University (LPU) rampage, arson and vandalism case, the number of people arrested in connection with the violence on the campus has risen to 11, The Tribune reported.

The duo arrested have been identified as Sampat Apurva (21), a resident of Merta in Rajasthan who was living at Law Gate, Phagwara, and Aditya Kumar, a resident of Hajipur in Bihar. Aditya was nabbed from Noida, while Apurva was arrested from Phagwara.

Both are LPU students. So far, nine of the 11 arrested persons have been found to be LPU students, police said, adding that many more names could surface in the coming days.

Raids on in J&K for influencer accused

Meanwhile, teams of the Kapurthala police are conducting raids in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, to arrest Farhat Dev, another prominent accused named in the twin FIRs registered at Satnampura and Sadar, Phagwara, in connection with the rampage.

Farhat, a resident of Kishtwar, is an online influencer with more than 21,000 followers on Instagram and enjoys popularity among LPU students. He was named as an accused for his alleged role in the protests based on online videos and other footage of him circulating in connection with the alleged vandalism on the campus.

AI facial recognition, terabytes of footage

Highly placed police officials said the police had retrieved hundreds of terabytes of data and video footage related to the protests, arson, vandalism and torching of police vehicles during the rampage at LPU.

While 40 people, including students and alumni, had so far been identified, footage-based identification of many more students allegedly involved was under way.

Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora said campus CCTV footage and AI facial-recognition software were being employed to nab the culprits. “Our teams are conducting a detailed probe and more revelations are expected soon,” he said.

Who was arrested earlier

Until Friday, the Kapurthala police had arrested nine people in connection with the arson, vandalism, robbery and highway blockades during protests at LPU on September 27 and 28. Seven of those arrested, including a juvenile, were LPU students, while two were outsiders.

The arrested students were identified as James Dahiya, Ashutosh, Antriksh Dutta, Sahil Singh, Krishna Kumar and Bhavishya Karan alias Prem; the outsiders were Gagandeep alias Kotha and Jasmeet Kumar. The 11 arrested so far were nabbed from Phagwara, Mumbai, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Noida.

Before his arrest, James Dahiya had posted a video on Instagram claiming he had gone to a nearby fuel station for petrol when the arson took place. During interrogation, police said he admitted to overturning a police vehicle in the heat of the moment after a lathi-charge.

Who are the two newly arrested accused?

Sampat Apurva (21) of Merta, Rajasthan — living at Law Gate, Phagwara — and Aditya Kumar of Hajipur, Bihar. Both are LPU students; Apurva was arrested from Phagwara and Aditya from Noida, taking the total arrests in the case to 11.

Who is the influencer police are looking for?

Farhat Dev, a Kishtwar resident and online influencer with over 21,000 Instagram followers, named in the twin FIRs at Satnampura and Sadar, Phagwara. Kapurthala police teams are conducting raids in Jammu and Kashmir to arrest him.

What triggered the LPU violence?

On September 27-28, LPU students went on a rampage — vandalising campus property, torching vehicles and blocking the Jalandhar-Phagwara highway — after unverified social media rumours of a sexual assault on a student. Police registered FIRs and constituted a special investigation team; no complaint substantiating the viral claims was received.