HC takes note of Lucknow varsity violence; DGP orders probe

Taking suo motu cognizance of the violence in Lucknow University, the Allahabad High Court today summoned its top officials, besides the UP DGP to explain the attack, prompting the police chief to ask an inspector general rank officer to probe the campus clashes.

Amid the developments at the high court, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police O P Singh acted swiftly and handed over the the probe into the violence to Lucknow Range IGP Sujeet Pandey, transferred Circle Officer Anurag Singh and suspended university police outpost in-charge Pankaj Mishra.

The DGP's action came after a delegation of Lucknow University (LU) teachers led by Vice Chancellor S P Singh called on him here this afternoon.

Taking serious note of the incident, the DGP assured the VC of strict action against those who indulged in violence and asked the teachers to go back to work.

"I have handed over the probe into the Lucknow varsity violence to IG (Lucknow range). I have transferred the circle officer concerned and suspended the LU police outpost in-charge," the DGP said.

"I have also assured the teachers of strict action and have appealed to them to return to their work," he said.

While summoning the University's vice chancellor, registrar and proctor, the UP DGP, the Lucknow bench of the high court also ordered Lucknow senior superintendent of police to be present before it and explain the incident.

The order was issued by a bench of justices Vikram Nath and Rajesh Singh Chauhan following media reports of a group of students assaulting the vice chancellor and other top officers of the university yesterday.

The VC, the registrar and the SSP were asked to be present before the bench at 10.15 am tomorrow and explain as to why the police did not respond promptly when the LU authorities informed it about the imminent attack.

The court also asked the two top police officers to detail the steps taken in the wake of violence to improve the security situation in the university campus.

The court took on record the copies of a Hindi and an English daily and directed its registry to register the matter as a Public Interest Litigation with its title as 'Lucknow University Vandalism'.

Expressing annoyance over the incident and questionable role of the local police, the bench said, "It is unfortunate and extremely painful that the students have the courage, audacity and boldness to enter the premises from where they have been expelled and create physical violence and attack the vice chancellor, teachers and staff of the university."
In its order, the court noted, "In all the leading newspapers of Lucknow, one of the front-page news is about the attack on the teachers of LU, forcing the vice chancellor to close the university indefinitely (sine die) and stalling the entire admission process for the Academic Year 2018-19."
When asked when the university planned to reopen, the VC said, "It has been closed till further orders."