Online trolling wars at PU escalate into real-world clashes, harassment complaint filed by one

Time of India

2 days ago

Chandigarh: What began as anonymous trolling and meme warfare among student factions at Panjab University has now spilled into the physical campus, sparking formal complaints and growing concerns about safety and political intimidation.
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In recent weeks, Instagram pages — many featuring anime, Ghibli-style art or AI-generated visuals — have targeted students with vague threats of 'scandals', trolling, and personal attacks. Some pages appear aligned with student organisations, while others mock leaders, professors and even grieving students.
PU student Avtar Singh was among the first to formally raise a red flag. In a detailed complaint to the cyber cell, Singh alleged that a fake chat containing inappropriate messages, falsely attributed to him, was circulated to university-linked Instagram pages in an apparent attempt to defame him.
"I want to make it absolutely clear that I have never sent any such messages," Singh said. "This was a deliberate attempt to humiliate me because I have raised questions about how things work here. The person behind it didn't succeed, but the damage and mental stress were real."
Singh's complaint also mentioned that the same account had earlier left offensive comments on his photos before vanishing altogether on May 1.
He has asked the police to trace the identity behind the handle and take legal action under cybercrime and defamation laws.
Last week, members of the Students Organisation of India (SOI), allegedly accompanied by two to three outsiders, entered the university library and pulled a student out from the second floor and indulged in a physical spat. According to witnesses, the student had uploaded an Instagram story mocking a party member's reel in which they were seen throwing aside barricades near library.
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No official complaint has been filed in the incident, but it has caused unease among students, many of whom now fear retaliation over what they post online.
The university administration had already asked Chandigarh Police in April to act against pages misusing its name and spreading misinformation. A committee is also working on a campus-wide social media code.
"We have received some inputs and informal complaints about recent incidents on campus," said chief of university security Vikram Singh. "We are looking into them seriously. Ensuring a safe and secure campus atmosphere remains our priority."