Chandigarh: Panjab University student stabbed at concert bleeds to death

A festive concert by Haryanvi singer Masoom Sharma, organised by the campus student council on the UIET campus in Sector 25, had turned into a crime scene after a brutal attack on four youths—three of them students of PU and one a student of Chandigarh University (CU), Gharuan. While the CU student escaped unhurt, two others suffered stab wounds and the third a head injury.

Stabbed in the thigh, Aditya Thakur, a second-year computer science student at UIET, suffered significant blood loss by the time he was brought to the emergency ward at PGIMER.

A makeshift tourniquet was tied around his injured leg at the crime scene to control the bleeding. However, it was not secured properly, failing to effectively stem the haemorrhaging, said doctors.

They noted that before he arrived at PGIMER, he had already lost 2-3 litres of blood, a critical volume that put his life at severe risk. He also suffered aspiration, a condition where fluids enter the lungs, further complicating his condition.

Threatened, ambushed, stabbed, narrates complainant

The FIR lodged at the Sector-11 police station detailed that Arjun Dalal, a 19-year-old student and resident of Sector 20, along with his friends Aditya Thakur, Abhay and Aniruddha, were among the audience at the concert.

While leaving the venue, an argument broke out between Aditya and five to six unidentified youths.

The argument escalated when the other group threatened Aditya and his friends. “The boys threatened that you have made a mistake by messing with us, we will kill you, due to which our argument with those boys escalated,” Dalal narrated in his statement to police.

Observing the argument, the security staff intervened and directed both groups to leave.

However, the accused later regrouped and ambushed the victims outside the venue around 9.15 pm. Armed with knives and sticks, the attackers cornered the four friends in the open ground behind the concert venue, verbally threatening to “teach a lesson”, before launching a violent attack.

Dalal alleged that two assailants restrained Aditya while another stabbed him in the right thigh. Dalal also sustained a stab wound to his back and Aniruddha suffered a head injury from a stick attack. Amid the melee, the assailants managed to escape the scene.

Aniket, a first-year UIET student who witnessed the attack, said, “After the initial argument, we started leaving the venue, but the assailants returned with 10-15 men, 4-5 of whom were armed with sticks and knives. Aditya was brutally attacked as multiple men assaulted him. He lost a significant amount of blood on the way to the hospital as the PCR response was delayed in getting him medical help.”

Thakur’s father, Parveen, a resident of Hoshiarpur, Punjab, said, “We sent our son to study, never imagining it would cost him his life. The wound on his thigh was six inches deep, leading to significant loss of blood. But he could have been saved. We demand justice and immediate arrest of the perpetrators.”

Police investigation has revealed that the attackers were outsiders. Some of them have been identified and will be arrested soon, said police.

The assailants were initially booked under Sections 115 (2), 126 (2), 351 (2), 109, 191 (2), 191 (3) and 190 of BNS. However, after Aditya’s demise, the charges have been upgraded to include murder.

Varsity to ban star nights

Following the student’s tragic death and security concerns at recent PU fests, the varsity has decided to ban star nights on the campus.

Taking a tough stand, PU vice-chancellor said, “We are forming an SoP for student fests, but celebrity events won’t be allowed. Our focus is on academics and research. Students can organise talent nights or band events, but big names will not be allowed.”

Over the years, ever since PU student council posts have been won by different parties, hosting the biggest star event has become an ego battle among the elected representatives. These fests, usually held in March before exams, have turned out to be pre-election spectacles. Last year saw performances by singers Babbu Maan and Ninja, but this year, funds were diverted to secure even bigger names.

For the past two weeks, the university has been mired in controversy, starting with hooliganism at a Holi event that saw outsiders pouring into the campus. The Arjan Dhillon concert by student council president on March 21 was cancelled minutes before starting amid widespread chaos. Resultantly, the Gurdas Maan concert by the council vice-president on March 25 failed to get NOC from police. The March 28 concert was allowed by the administration, only to end in tragedy. When contacted, deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav said, “At private events, the security is arranged by organisers, which was lacking at PU. We will talk to PU officials and ensure that proper SOP for permissions, with adequate security arrangements, are in place for events on the campus.”

Protests erupt on campus as students demand answers

Protests broke out at PU on Saturday as enraged students took to the streets after UIET student Aditya Thakur succumbed to his injuries. Furious over lapses that led to the tragedy, they demanded answers, turning their anger toward university officials.

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which had recently expelled event organiser and PUCSC joint secretary Jasvinder Rana, sat in protest outside the Dean Student Welfare (DSW)’s house. The agitation later shifted to the DSW office, where activists, joined by more student parties, overpowered guards, shattered windowpanes, and tore down the nameplate outside, scribbling “murderer” in its place.

Amid the chaos at Student Centre, university security chief Vikram Singh was surrounded, shoved and had his spectacles knocked off before police intervened and escorted him to his car. A warden suffered minor injuries as students tried to storm the DSW office.

In the evening, students gathered for a candle march at the Student Centre, questioning why permission for the concert was given after denial last time. The DSW later told HT,”Students first protested to hold star nights and now they’re protesting against them. We are waiting for the police report before taking action.”