Punjab Unrest: Punjab has witnessed massive unrest involving students from two prominent universities within a span of 48 hours, resulting in road blockades, infrastructure damage, injuries and violence. In both cases, rumours circulating on the internet appeared to be the immediate trigger.
At Chitkara University, the unrest followed claims of missing students and alleged suicides. At Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, protests erupted over rumours and allegations of the rape of a female student by an outsider and a suicide.
However, both universities and the police have denied or questioned the claims circulating online, describing them as rumours or unverified information. Despite this, the incidents escalated rapidly, with campus unrest spilling onto the streets and leading to clashes and property damage. At LPU, the situation escalated further, with students blocking NH-44, vehicles being set on fire and police using force to disperse protesters.
Given the short gap between the two incidents, Punjab Police is examining whether there is any connection between them. So far, police have said there is no established link.
Special DGP (Law and Order) Parveen Kumar Sinha said the two incidents appeared unrelated, while adding that investigators were “working on all possible reasons for the sudden outburst" and examining whether a link could be established.
The Punjab State Women Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of the two protest incidents at Lovely Professional University and Chitkara University. The protests were based on unverified claims about the alleged rape of a student by an outsider and the alleged suicide of two female students, respectively. The commission has sought detailed reports, including copies of the FIRs and information on safety measures for students on the campuses, from the respective district and police administrations.
LPU's situation at present
A day after violent protests rocked the LPU campus in Phagwara, Kapurthala district, the situation was peaceful on Monday, with many students leaving for their homes. LPU authorities suspended classes for 10 days from Monday, while midterm examinations were also postponed until further notice.
Traffic movement on National Highway-44, which had been blocked by protesting LPU students for more than 15 hours, was restored.
However, a heavy police deployment remained at the university, located along the Jalandhar-Phagwara highway. Students carrying bags and suitcases were seen leaving the campus, while anxious parents also arrived to take their children home.
LPU students allegedly went on a rampage on campus on Sunday, vandalising property and blocking a stretch of the New Delhi-Amritsar highway outside the university over claims that an outsider had raped a female student on the university premises.
Another wave of violence erupted on Sunday evening after protesting students allegedly pelted police personnel with stones and attacked their vehicles, leaving several police officers injured, officials said.
Protesters also set some objects on fire, according to purported visuals of the protest. The university has rejected the allegation, describing the reports circulating on social media as false and fabricated. LPU Registrar Monica Gulati said the circulation of such information appeared to be a “deliberate and concerted attempt" to malign the university and tarnish its image.
Police have registered an FIR against an unidentified person based on a student’s complaint and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising police officers and student representatives.
Chitkara University: What happened?
Students of Chitkara University in Patiala allegedly set a police vehicle on fire over unverified claims that two female students had died by suicide on the university premises on Friday.
Unverified messages circulating among students claimed that two female students had gone missing from the girls’ hostel or had died by suicide. Other rumours referred to screams from the hostel and even a supposed “ghost" linked to an earlier death.
The claims spread rapidly through student social-media groups, prompting hundreds of students to gather late at night and demand answers from university authorities, including access to CCTV footage.
The situation subsequently turned violent. Campus property was damaged, two police vehicles were vandalised and an officer was allegedly manhandled. Police eventually brought the situation under control.
There was no official record of the alleged deaths or missing students. Patiala Police also confirmed that no student had been reported missing, while a senior medical officer at Rajpura Civil Hospital said no post-mortem involving Chitkara students had been conducted in recent days.
The university also explained that an ambulance had arrived at the girls’ hostel on September 24 because a student was returning from hospital, not because of a death or suicide.
Viral videos on social media showed protesters, purportedly students, damaging window panes and flower pots on campus and setting some objects on fire, with cries of "we want justice" echoing in the background.