Lagatar24 Desk
Chandigarh: Students at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab set parts of the campus on fire and vandalised property after protests over unverified claims that a female student had been raped and later died by suicide turned violent overnight, with police calling the claims a “rumour.”
Protest Turns Violent, Highway Blocked
Videos showed a large group of students initially protesting peacefully with slogans demanding justice, before some began damaging window panes and flower pots and setting parts of the university building on fire. A group of students also blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara national highway, causing a massive traffic jam.
Police Say Case Registered, No Confirmation of Crime
Deputy Inspector General, Jalandhar Range, Naveen Singla, said students had alleged that a girl in a hostel was raped around three days ago and subsequently returned home, adding that a rape case has been registered based on this statement. However, Senior Superintendent of Police, Kapurthala, Gaurav Toora, said police had no information confirming any such incident, noting that they were alerted only when students blocked the highway the previous night and that no formal report of such a crime had reached them until then, though he acknowledged there appeared to be a misunderstanding between the university administration and students that authorities were working to resolve.
Protesting Student Alleges Cover-Up, University Calls Claims “Rumours”
A protesting student alleged in a video that a female student had been raped by a construction worker on campus, after which college authorities sent her home, and that her roommate later informed other students that the girl had died by suicide. The student claimed the protests were initially peaceful but turned violent after outsiders entered the campus once the gates opened and caused disruption, adding that despite the unrest, the administration maintained that the entire matter was a rumour. In an official statement, Lovely Professional University told students that circulating claims were “false and misleading,” assured them of their safety on campus, and urged them to remain inside their hostels and avoid participating in any unrest. Police said an assessment of the property damage is underway and that necessary legal action would follow.
