The tragic killing of Aditya Thakur, a second-year computer science student at UIET, during singer Masoom Sharma’s concert at Panjab University (PU) has once again put the spotlight on serious security flaws at the varsity’s South Campus. Many are now demanding that the boundary wall between the campus and Sector 25’s Bhaskar Colony be fortified.
Despite the presence of a government school on the South Campus and a locked gate restricting entry after school hours, the low boundary wall makes unauthorized access easy. A security official acknowledged this vulnerability.
PU Vice-Chancellor Renu Vig admitted the long-standing security issues, stating that efforts have been ongoing since her tenure as UIET’s director. Dean Student Welfare Amit Chauhan revealed that he had proposed fortifying the wall upon assuming office, but the UT administration has shown little interest.
Faculty members also lament the South Campus being neglected. A professor highlighted a recent incident where water taps were stolen twice in five days from the PU BioNEST building, emphasizing the need for urgent measures.
Vikram Singh, PU’s chief security officer, admitted that the current deployment of 20 security personnel is insufficient for the sprawling 166-acre South Campus, which houses five hostels.
Outraged students from UIET staged a protest on Monday, marching from the Vice-Chancellor’s office to UIET, and have announced a class boycott on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, MP Manish Tewari voiced concerns on social media, urging Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, PU’s Chancellor, to establish an independent probe into the security lapse that led to Aditya’s tragic death.
