India
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab’s Phagwara saw an intense protest over the weekend after students took to the streets following reports of a female student allegedly being sexually assaulted on campus and later dying by suicide.
The allegations have not been independently established. While protesting students demanded answers from the university and authorities, LPU rejected the claims, calling them false and fabricated. Punjab Police, meanwhile, registered a rape case against an unidentified person and formed a seven member Special Investigation Team to establish what actually happened.
Protests erupted at Punjab’s LPU Phagwara following unestablished allegations of sexual assault and suicide, leading to clashes and property damage; the university denied the claims, while police registered a rape case and formed a 7-member SIT for investigation.
What began as a student protest on Saturday escalated into violence on Sunday, with clashes between protesters and police, damage to property and vehicles being set on fire. The unrest also spilled onto National Highway 44, bringing traffic to a standstill.
Here is what has happened so far.
How the LPU protests began
The controversy erupted after students began discussing an alleged incident involving a female student at one of the university hostels.
According to claims made by protesting students, the student was allegedly sexually assaulted by a construction worker. Students also alleged that the incident took place a few days earlier and that the matter was not immediately reported to the police.
The claims spread quickly across the campus and social media, eventually triggering protests at the university.
The identity of the alleged victim has not been officially established in public.
The protests that began on Saturday continued through the night and intensified on Sunday.
Students gathered on the campus and demanded that the university and police address their concerns. The situation later deteriorated, with reports of vandalism and damage to university property.
Parts of the campus were set on fire, while vehicles were also damaged. Protesters eventually blocked National Highway 44, one of the key roads connecting the region.
The highway blockade added to the pressure on the administration, as police attempted to persuade students to clear the road.
The situation became particularly tense on Sunday evening when attempts to bring the protest under control failed.
Police said protesters hurled bottles and other objects at personnel and damaged police vehicles. The police later used a mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd.
The confrontation led to further violence. Three SUVs and six motorcycles were reportedly set on fire, while several police vehicles were damaged.
A number of people, including police personnel, were injured during the clashes.
Despite the university’s denial of the allegations, Punjab Police registered a rape case against an unknown person following the protests.
A seven member SIT has been formed to investigate the allegations and establish whether the reported sexual assault took place.
DIG Jalandhar Range Naveen Singla said the investigation would include digital and technical evidence.
Five representatives of the protesting students have also been included in the investigation team, according to the police.
The probe is expected to examine available evidence, including digital records and other material that could help establish the sequence of events.
What students have alleged
The allegations made by students centre on a female student who was reportedly staying in a university hostel.
Students claimed that she was sexually assaulted by a construction worker and that the incident was not immediately taken to the police.
They further alleged that the hostel warden asked the student to return home instead of reporting the matter.
Police officials have referred to these claims while explaining the basis of the investigation. However, the allegations remain part of the ongoing probe and have not been established as fact.
LPU rejects the allegations
LPU has strongly denied the claims and said false information was being circulated on social media.
University registrar Monica Gulati said certain “anti-social elements” were spreading what the university described as false, baseless and fabricated rumours, creating confusion among students.
The university also released a video featuring three female students who said they lived in the hostel room where the alleged assault was claimed to have taken place.
According to the university, the students said no such incident had taken place in their room. They also said they had experienced distress after the room number was circulated publicly.
LPU Vice Chancellor Jaspal Singh Sandhu said no complaint or report regarding sexual assault had come to his notice until Sunday morning.
Classes suspended, exams postponed
With the campus situation remaining tense, LPU announced a temporary suspension of academic activities.
Regular classes have been suspended for 10 days from September 28. The university has also postponed its mid semester examinations until further notice.
Students have been allowed to return to their hometowns after consulting their parents or guardians.
Those who remain on campus have been advised to stay inside their hostels or residences and avoid unnecessary movement or involvement in the unrest.
The university said a fresh examination schedule would be announced separately.
The LPU controversy has also drawn political attention in Punjab.
Congress leader and Punjab unit chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring criticised the handling of the situation and called for transparent and time bound answers to the students’ concerns. He also criticised the Punjab government over the highway blockade and questioned the absence of senior government representatives at the protest site.
BJP leader and former Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu also commented on the developments. He accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party of allowing the situation to deteriorate and alleged that the unrest was connected to wider political developments.
Bittu also made allegations about the role of political actors in the protests. Those claims have not been established by the ongoing police investigation.
The political reactions come against the backdrop of LPU founder and chancellor Ashok Kumar Mittal, who is a Rajya Sabha MP and has been associated with the Aam Aadmi Party in the past before joining the BJP.
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