Phagwara: Tensions ran high at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab after an alleged rape involving a female student triggered a large student protest on campus late Saturday night. The demonstration escalated into vandalism and a highway blockade, while police launched an investigation into the allegations circulating among students and on social media.
The protest was reportedly sparked by claims that a female student staying at the university’s G3 hostel had been raped around three days earlier. Messages circulating among students also alleged that a worker was involved and that the student later died by suicide after being sent home. Police have not confirmed the alleged death, and the rape allegation remains under investigation.
According to reports, a large number of students gathered on the university campus following the circulation of the claims. The situation subsequently turned tense, with reports of damage to university property, broken windows and a fire at part of the campus.
The unrest later spilled onto the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway, where protesting students reportedly blocked traffic. Police personnel were deployed to the area and eventually brought the situation under control. The highway was later reopened.
In the initial stages of the incident, Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora said police had not received a complaint or found evidence confirming the alleged rape or suicide. Authorities indicated that unverified information circulating among students and online had contributed to the situation.
However, a subsequent development brought the rape allegation formally into the police investigation. Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla said police had received a statement from students alleging that a student in the G3 hostel had been raped. Police began the process of registering an FIR against an unidentified person.
Investigators are expected to examine CCTV footage, forensic evidence and phone data as part of the probe. Police have not publicly identified an alleged accused.
The university administration has rejected the claims circulating on social media, describing them as false, baseless and misleading. LPU authorities have appealed to students and parents to rely on verified information rather than unconfirmed messages.
The investigation is now expected to establish what happened inside the hostel and whether the allegations circulating online have any factual basis. At present, the claims of rape, suicide and the alleged involvement of a worker have not been conclusively established by authorities.
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