Open gates, no checks: PU’s porous campus aided gunmen’s escape

Chandigarh: Three main gates in the north campus, four in the south, and an additional access point near a government school, Panjab University's (PU) entry network is extensive, but largely unchecked. On Tuesday, this openness was on full display as gunmen entered the campus, fired at a student party leader near the botany department parking area, and escaped within minutes through an unmanned exit near the mandir-gurdwara complex.As per the CCTV footage, the three accused fled through the mandir area inside the campus that connects to the main road dividing PU's sectors 14 and 25 campuses. The entry points here remain largely unmanned, allowing easy movement without checks. The gaps extend across the campus. On the north side three main gates exist, but checks are largely limited to vehicles, and even those remain inconsistent. Pedestrians walk in without scrutiny, and two-wheelers pass through without verification. Smaller gates and openings further weaken control.The situation is more stark in the Sector 25 (south) campus. It has four main gates, where there is virtually no checking, even for cars. A fifth, smaller gate near a government school meant to regulate access, is frequently climbed over. If one stands there for a few minutes, one will see people jumping in or out.Boundary walls add to the problem. In several stretches of the north campus, walls are low enough to be easily crossed. In the south campus, large sections remain poorly monitored, with limited surveillance and patchy lighting.The campus's size and mixed-use character complicate regulation. Spread over hundreds of acres, it houses academic departments, hostels, markets, administrative offices and residential quarters. Vice-Chancellor Prof Renu Vig on Tuesday said with such a large campus and multiple residential and administrative areas inside, maintaining strict checks at all entry points was difficult.At present, PU has around 200 security personnel, far short of requirements, leaving guards stretched thin across shifts and locations.Security concerns in the south campus had intensified last year after the murder of UIET student Aditya Thakur, who was stabbed by an outsider. But the strictness remained just for some time after the incident and protest by the students.They also flagged routine safety issues. "When we go to UIET, there are boys sitting on the walls, facing inside. They pass comments at times. Nobody stops them, and there is hardly any security official present," said a girl student. With multiple unmanned gates, unchecked pedestrian and two-wheeler access, and easily scalable boundary walls, the campus remains open in practice, a reality once again brought into focus after Tuesday's incident.