Nine persons, including a juvenile who climbed atop a MiG-23, have been arrested for arson and vandalism during protests at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara near Jalandhar on September 27 and 28.Two persons have also been arrested in connection with the student unrest at Chitkara University in Rajpura, Patiala, on the intervening night of September 25-26.In the LPU case, those arrested have been identified as university students James Dahiya (Sonepat), Ashutosh (Uttar Pradesh), Antriksh Dutta and Sahil Singh (Jammu), and Krishna Kumar and Bhavishya Karan (Maharashtra), along with two outsiders, Gagandeep and Jasmeet Kumar, who worked as pizza delivery boys in Phagwara.The juvenile, whose image atop a MiG-23 at LPU became the face of the protest, hails from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh.The police have so far identified 40 accused, including social media influencer Farhat Dev, a BBA student at LPU. With 21,000 Instagram followers, Farhat went viral during the protest. He is yet to be arrested.Speaking to mediapersons, DIG, Jalandhar Range, Naveen Singla said: “As many as 20 persons have been nominated in two FIRs registered in Kapurthala and Phagwara on September 28. The special investigation team has formed multiple teams and scanned digital evidence from social media, news channels and CCTV footage from LPU, among other sources. The accused have been found involved in arson, rioting, robbery, unprovoked attacks on police personnel, blocking the national highway and ransacking LPU infrastructure. Some students posed as protesters and later engaged in arson.”The DIG said, “Several accused are from the Law Gate area outside LPU, where an entire ecosystem of alumni, traders, PG accommodations, rental units and dealers exists.”He said the investigation was being carried out simultaneously in the rape case registered at the Satnampura police station in Kapurthala, the victim of which had not yet been identified. CCTV footage was being scanned and staff members, students, hostellers and wardens were being questioned, he added.Responding to queries about whether a conspiracy or pre-planned strategy was behind the protests, the DIG said the probe was being conducted from all angles and that no one would be spared. The accused have been arrested under Sections 109 (attempt to murder), 132 (assault), 221 (voluntary obstruction of a public servant), 326(b) (mischief causing damage to a public road or bridge), 326(g) (mischief by fire or explosive substance), 324(4) (damage to property) and 309(4) (robbery) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 4 of the Punjab Prevention of Damage to Public and Private Property Act, 2014.Meanwhile, in the Chitkara University case, the Patiala police identified the arrested accused as Himanshu from Nangal and Aryan from Ambala. During the investigation, the police said it emerged that the duo had instigated students by circulating misleading messages on social media groups, contributing to the escalation of the situation on the university campus.Following the unrest, an FIR was registered at the Banur police station and a large-scale investigation was launched. The Police examined social media activity and fake messages circulated by students and other notorious persons. Police teams have been dispatched to various locations to apprehend the remaining 10 accused.“The investigation is in progress to identify more persons involved in spreading misinformation, instigating students and damaging public property,” Patiala SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans said.