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Lovely Professional University in Punjab has witnessed massive student protests and campus vandalism over the past 48 hours. The unrest began on Saturday night following media reports alleging that a female student was sexually assaulted by a construction worker within the campus. The situation further escalated after the university dismissed the claims as "rumours".
How did the matter escalate?
On September 26, violent protests erupted in LPU after unverified rumours claimed a female student in the university’s Girls Hostel 3 was allegedly sexually assaulted by a construction worker. The matter further intensified when some social media posts said that the student either committed suicide or was sent back by the administration to cover up the issue.
Following this, students gathered at LPU in Phagwara and demanded transparency and action from the university. The protest turned violent as windowpanes and flowerpots were smashed, and some objects or parts of the campus buildings were set on fire.
Demonstrators blocked the busy Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway (NH-44), disrupting traffic. Violence escalated on Sunday evening after the protesting students pelted stones at police personnel and attacked their vehicles, leaving several cops injured, officials said.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Satinder Singh, DIG (Jalandhar Range) Naveen Singla and Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora accompanied the team, which went around the campus.
"The situation has been brought under control. Traffic movement on NH-44 will be restored soon," Singla said. Although no formal complaint, victim identity, or physical evidence of the alleged crime had been reported, an FIR was later registered to thoroughly investigate the claims.
Following the continuous unrest, the university subsequently suspended regular classes for 10 days and postponed mid-term examinations.
The matter took an unexpected turn after the students from Room N04 (GH3) featured in a clarification video said they had been instructed to say things and were unaware of their video being trimmed and used. Amid protests, Registrar Dr Monika Gulati released a video addressing students. In the same video, she featured three students who live in Room No. 504 of Girls' Hostel 3, the room named in the claims, who denied that any such incident had occurred there.
What Did the Students Say?
In the official video, Dr. Gulati stated, "I would like you to hear directly from the residents of Room 504 in GH3."
The first student clarified, "As residents of Room 504 for the past two months, we can confirm that no such incident occurred here. We urge the police and fellow students to stop disturbing us, as we have no involvement in this matter."
The second student added, "We have been deeply distressed by these events. If this harassment continues, we will be forced to involve our parents."
The third student reiterated, "We request that the police refrain from repeatedly visiting our room; otherwise, we will contact our parents."
However, a subsequent video surfaced featuring the same three students, who claimed they were scripted and that their statements were published without consent.
One student stated, "The university administration instructed us on what to say, asking us to state that we were being bothered. They then edited the footage and posted it on Instagram without our knowledge or consent, leaving us subject to unfair public backlash."
Another student added, "We have no connection to this situation—our room number was picked at random. We ask everyone to please leave us alone.
How did the CM react?
According to the Punjab CMO, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has ordered strict action against the perpetrators and directed DGP Gaurav Yadav to personally visit the site to assess the situation.Lovely Professional University (LPU) matter | Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has ordered strict action against the culprits. He has directed DGP Gaurav Yadav to go to the spot and assess the situation: Punjab CMO