The accused in police custody in Chandigarh on Thursday. Express
IN A serious breach of security, a middle-aged man was found hiding under the bed of one of the girl students in hostel number 5 on the Panjab University campus. The incident triggered panic at the hostel on Thursday evening. The man was later caught by the hostel’s security guards and handed over to the police. A case, however, was yet to be registered till the filing of this report.
Police told Chandigarh Newsline that doctors said that the man’s mental condition was not normal and he needs to be examined in the psychiatry ward. The incident took place around 3.30 pm when a resident of girls’ hostel No. 5 opened the door of her room on the second floor and found a man lying under her bed. “She screamed. The man who was hiding under the bed got up and ran out of the room. We all tried to catch him, but he quickly ran downstairs and reached the ground. He tried to escape from the exit gate of hostel No. 4. We raised an alarm and the security guards nabbed him after a brief chase. The man was later handed over to the police,” an eyewitness, not willing to be named, told Chandigarh Newsline.
Investigating officer of the case, ASI Kuldeep Singh, Police Station-11, said, “The man is not saying anything. He seems to be mentally disturbed. We have taken him to GMSH, Sector 16, for medical examination. The hostel warden has lodged a complaint with us. We are examining the case and further course of action shall depend on a thorough medical examination of the man. The man’s antecedents are also being verified.”
Panjab University Students Council representatives who reached the hostel after coming to know of the incident, said, “The man was apparently drunk.” The police, however, did not confirm this. The students also alleged that the man was carrying a screwdriver in his hand when he was nabbed by the security guards. But, the police said they had not recovered anything from his possession.
The man, who was 5 foot 7 inch tall and wearing a yellow shirt and black trousers, appeared to be in his early 30s.
“His clothes are shabby. The man has not disclosed anything about his identity as yet. We are still questioning him. We found some toffee wrappers, empty biscuit packets and a few pieces of torn paper. We have not found any identity proof from his possession,” ASI Kuldeep Singh told Chandigarh Newsline.
“We condemn this security breach and shall be taking up the matter with the vice chancellor tomorrow morning. A committee should be constituted for a thorough investigation of this incident. Who will be responsible if something wrong happens to any student?” said PUCSC Secretary Vani Sood.