Chandigarh: Panjab University was thrown into chaos on Tuesday evening when armed assailants stormed the campus, opened fire at a student leader, and then fled after a dramatic chase that included threatening a temple priest and snatching a motorcycle at gunpoint in Sector 25.The attack unfolded around 5.45 pm, when two men walked into the parking lot near PU’s botany department carrying a bag. As student leader Jashandeep Singh Jawanda (SOPU) stood nearby, one of them pulled out a pistol and fired two shots at him. Jawanda dodged the bullets and sprinted for cover as panic rippled through the area. Police later recovered two empty shells from the spot.With their target escaping, the assailants jumped onto a scooter and raced toward the backside of the Radha Krishan temple. Finding no exit route, they abandoned the scooter and barged into the temple. When the priest stopped them for entering with shoes, one of the attackers allegedly pointed a gun at him, warning him to stay quiet.Moments later, the duo exited the temple complex and confronted a couple near a private school in Sector 25. At gunpoint, they snatched a Bullet motorcycle and sped away.The bike owner immediately alerted the police. Even as officers reached the snatching site, a second message came in—shots fired inside PU.Multiple teams from the Sector 11 police station, the District Crime Cell, crime branch and FSL rushed to the campus. CCTV footage in and around PU showed four suspects fleeing, prompting police to widen the search.The scooter abandoned near the temple was seized; investigators found it bore fake number plates, indicating it was likely stolen.DSP central division Dalbir Singh Bhinder said CCTV analysis was underway and confirmed that only two rounds were fired. The mobile phone of the targeted student leader, Jawanda, was switched off after the incident, prompting police to visit his residence.‘Bambiha aide’ claims responsibilitySoon after Tuesday’s firing, gangster Doni Bal and his associate Shaganpreet, linked to the Bambiha gang, allegedly claimed responsibility on social media for targeting the SOPU student leader and threatened violence against anyone joining the group. Doni Bal, believed to be operating from abroad, had earlier been accused of opening fire at a builder’s residence in Sector 21 on January 16, 2026, after which a ransom of Rs 5 crore was allegedly demanded.Committed to ensure campus safety: PU In a statement issued in the evening, PU registrar Prof YP Verma said, “Panjab University is committed to ensuring campus safety and not allowing any untoward activity on the campus. We have taken strong note of the incident. The Chandigarh Police is investigating the matter. CCTV footage has been procured and the accused are being tracked by the Chandigarh Police. We are confident they will be nabbed soon by the police.“Violent pastAditya Thakur, a second-year UIET student at PU, was stabbed to death during a concert by a popular Haryanvi singer on March 29, 2025. Three other students were injured in the assault. Police later arrested four people in connection with Thakur’s killing.In April 2016, three students were injured in a firing incident in the parking of the Department of Police Administration. Two student leaders were subsequently arrested and five people were booked after an altercation between two student groups escalated into gunfire.
