Punjab University students protesting against the recent fee hike were charged with sedition after they clashed with the local police on Tuesday, leaving over 60 students, cops and journalists injured — at least four of them critical — on the campus. Fifty-two students were taken in police custody, out of 66 named in the FIR
The protest witnessed the use of force, water cannons and teargas by police, while students resorted to stone-pelting.
A case under Sections 124-A (sedition), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 3 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, has been registered against the students.
In many courses, the fee hike was steep. In the B Pharma course, the fee was raised from Rs 5,080 to Rs 50,000 and in journalism course, the fee was hiked from Rs 5,290 to Rs 30,000. For dental course, the fees was increased from Rs 86,400 to Rs 1.5 lakh.
