Phagwara: Two students allegedly involved in setting police vehicles on fire during the violence at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara have been identified and arrested, police said. The accused are being brought from Mumbai to Jalandhar by air and are expected to be produced before a Phagwara court.
Police said the investigation has also pointed towards influencers Mohammad Farhat Dev and James Dahiya, who are being examined for their alleged role in creating unrest through social media and allegedly instigating attacks on police vehicles.
Police teams have travelled to Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar in search of accused Farhat.
Arrested Students To Be Produced In Phagwara Court
According to police, the two arrested accused have been identified as Krishna Kumar and Chhatra Bhavishya. They are being brought to Jalandhar by flight and will be produced before the Phagwara court in the morning, where police are expected to seek their remand.
Investigators said questioning the two could help establish who brought petrol to the spot and who allegedly encouraged students to engage in stone-pelting and set vehicles on fire.
Police have not yet released photographs of the two accused.
It is also being claimed that after the violence, they shared videos of the burning vehicles on social media with a message suggesting that they had received justice.
James Dahiya’s Video Before Arrest
Before his arrest, influencer James Dahiya had posted a video on his Instagram account in which he claimed that he was getting petrol filled at a nearby pump when the arson took place.
He claimed that police stopped him and questioned him about making videos. According to Dahiya, police asked him to hand over his phone, but he refused and was subsequently allowed to leave.
He also said that whatever he had done was done without any selfish motive.
During questioning, the accused reportedly admitted that after police resorted to a lathi charge, he got carried away and overturned a police vehicle.
Police Continue Raids To Trace Influencer
Police have also arrested Sahil and Antariksh from Jammu and Kashmir. During questioning, the two allegedly told investigators that they were part of a group associated with influencer Farhat.
According to the police investigation, the accused claimed that Farhat had allegedly provoked them to indulge in vandalism and that they joined in after getting carried away.
Police are continuing efforts to arrest Farhat in Kishtwar. Investigators believe his questioning could lead to further disclosures about the violence and the alleged mobilisation of students through social media.