LPU students protest over rape claim, campus damaged and highway blocked

Students of Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, Punjab, staged a large protest early Sep 27 following reports circulating on social media about the alleged rape of a female student on the university campus.

The protest turned violent as students damaged property inside the campus and some objects were set on fire. The protesters later moved towards the university's main entrance and blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway, disrupting traffic on the route.

According to reports, the protest began near a girls' hostel and grew as students from different hostels joined. Videos circulated on social media showed students damaging window panes, flower pots and other property on the campus.

Police say allegation had not been substantiated initially

Kapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Toora reached the university along with police personnel as the situation escalated.

Police said they had not received a complaint regarding the alleged sexual assault at the time of their initial response and had not found evidence substantiating the allegation. Authorities were attempting to speak with students and bring the situation under control.

Later reports said police began the process of registering an FIR after receiving the students' statement. Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla said the initial complaint concerned an alleged assault involving a student from the G3 hostel and that the investigation would include examination of CCTV footage and other available evidence.

University rejects allegations

LPU said the allegations circulating on social media were false, baseless and fabricated. The university urged students, parents and the public not to rely on unverified information and said official communication should be used for updates.

The university also faced criticism from protesting students, who demanded clarification and action over the allegation.

The protest caused disruption on the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway, with police deployed around the university. The highway was subsequently cleared and traffic restored, according to reports.

The incident comes a day after protests at Chitkara University in Rajpura, Punjab, following separate unverified social media claims involving students.

The investigation into the LPU allegation is continuing, and the available reports do not establish that the alleged sexual assault took place.