Classes at Punjab’s Lovely Professional University (LPU) have been suspended for 10 days following violent student protests sparked by rumors of a campus rape. The private institution in Phagwara postponed mid-term examinations as authorities deployed over 2,000 police personnel to restore order after clashes turned destructive.
The unrest began on Sunday after social media circulated claims that a female student had been raped by an outsider within the university premises and subsequently died by suicide. Although these allegations remain unverified by police, the situation escalated quickly. Protesters reportedly clashed with law enforcement, pelted stones at security staff, smashed windows, and set fire to objects inside the university complex. Some students later took to social media to suggest that those responsible for the vandalism were outsiders rather than enrolled students.
In an official statement cited by the news agency ANI, the university announced the suspension of regular classes and advised students to return to their hometowns. Those choosing to remain on campus were urged to stay in their hostels and avoid unnecessary movement. The administration also called for calm and warned against involvement in the unrest.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has directed the Director General of Police to visit the campus, while the Punjab State Women’s Commission is seeking a detailed report on the alleged assault. Meanwhile, police confirmed that traffic on the national highway between Jalandhar and Phagwara, which had been blocked by protesters, was restored on Monday as the situation came under control.
LPU has firmly denied that any rape occurred, describing the claims as “false, baseless and fabricated rumors.” On Sunday, the university released a video featuring three female hostel residents who denied that an assault had taken place in their room. However, media reports from Monday indicated that these same students appeared in a separate video claiming they were coached on what to say and that their earlier statements were edited without consent.
In a separate development, India’s Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of a rise in rape cases across Delhi and the National Capital Region. The top court highlighted what it described as a “systemic failure” by law enforcement and administrative bodies, drawing comparisons to the 2012 Nirbhaya case that led to major legal reforms nearly 14 years ago.
Leave a Reply