LAHORE, Dec 2: A large number of Punjab University students blocked Canal Road on Tuesday night in protest against torture of a hostel fellow by some `outsiders’ and students.

After the blockade, a large number of police officials reached the spot to control the situation.

The protesters wanted the Punjab chief minister interfere to take action against the `outsiders’ living in the university hostels.

Muhammad Ahsan, a student of MPA department, who was attacked by the same people a day back, told Dawn by phone that around 200 students had gathered on the road to protest against the alleged high-handedness of Islami Jamiat Talba (IJT) activists.

He said Sabir Shah, an expelled student and illegal boarder, along with university students Ziaullah of IBA, Hafiz Farhan Ahmed of IER, Usman of Hailey College and Anser Abbas turned up at hostel No 16 and started beating University Students Federation (USF) president Atif Naeem of law department.

The attackers escaped from the spot after hurling life threats, he added.

Ahsan said the USF activists and their like-minded students lodged a protest, seeking government action against outsiders.

On Monday, the Muslim Town police registered a case against five PU students - Hafiz Farhan Ahmed, Abdul Majid, Shazi Butt, Ziaullah, Usman, Aamir Yaqoob - and a few outsiders for allegedly thrashing three USF activists in a university hostel in early hours.

According to the FIR lodged under Sections 148, 149, 452, 506, 337-A1 and 337-F1 of the PPC, victim Muhammad Ahsan stated that he was at his room along with roommates Imran Mukhtar and Hafiz Azeem Akhtar in hostel No 15 when Sabir Shah (illegal boarder) entered along with his fellows after breaking the lock open at around 2.30am.

The intruders blindfolded him and were about to take him away when his fellows resisted as a result of which the assailants started beating them.

They were taken to Jinnah Hospital with multiple injuries, the FIR said.

Police have so far failed to arrest the nominated accused.

When contacted, Iqbal Town division SP (investigation) Shoaib Khurram Janbaz said the police required the vice-chancellor’s approval to raid the university hostels. He said the police could not arrest the nominated accused on their own.