Police have arrested nine people in connection with the violence at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara. The arrests cover arson, vandalism, robbery and highway blockades that took place during protests at the university on September 27 and 28.
Seven of those arrested are students of the university. Two are outsiders. Among the seven students is a juvenile, and his story has become the most talked-about part of this case.
Juvenile Who Climbed Atop MiG-23 Arrested in LPU Violence Case
The arrested juvenile hails from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh. During the vandalism, he was seen sitting atop a MiG-23 aircraft on the campus. That image spread quickly and became the face of the recent protests held at the university.
The MiG-23 is an iconic display on the LPU campus, and the photo of the juvenile on top of it came to define how the protests were seen across the country. His arrest now closes a loop on one of the most recognisable images from the unrest.
Who Are the Nine Arrested in the Phagwara LPU Rampage?
The two outsiders arrested have been identified as Gagandeep and Jasmeet Kumar of Phagwara. The students arrested include:
- James Dahiya of Sonepat
- Ashutosh of Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh
- Antriksh Dutta of Jammu
- Sahil Singh of Jammu
- Krishna Kumar of Marukiya, Maharashtra
- Bhavishya Karan of Kalyan East, Maharashtra
- The juvenile from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh
The list shows that the arrested students come from several states — Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh. This suggests the crowd involved in the violence was not limited to local students but drew from across the country, which is expected at a university with a large outstation student base.
What the Charges Tell Us About the LPU Protests
The charges are serious. Arson, vandalism, robbery and highway blockades are not minor campus offences. Highway blockades in particular affect the general public, not just the university. Once a protest blocks a national highway, it stops being an internal campus matter and becomes a law and order issue for the district administration.
The fact that two outsiders from Phagwara were also arrested is important. It indicates that people not enrolled at the university were part of the unrest. Whether they joined on their own or were involved in organising it is something only the investigation will reveal.
Our Take: The MiG-23 Photo and What Comes Next
In our view, this case sends a clear message. The image of a young man on top of a MiG-23 may have looked like a symbol of protest to some, but the police have treated it as part of a criminal case. That is the correct approach. Vandalism and arson put lives at risk, and no cause justifies robbery or blocking public highways.
At the same time, the arrest of a juvenile should make everyone pause. Universities must ask why a student felt the need to climb a fighter jet display during a protest. If students have genuine grievances, there should be a proper channel to raise them — before anger turns into arrests and criminal cases that can follow young people for years.
To put it plainly, the arrests are a warning. Students who take part in violence, even in the heat of a protest, will face the law. The juvenile on the MiG-23 learned this the hard way, and his photo — once a symbol of the protests — is now part of a police file.
