Students clash with Punjab police, vehicles torched at LPU over alleged rape, suicide

Violence flared at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara as students clashed with police over allegations that a female student was raped and later died by suicide. Protesters set multiple police vehicles ablaze, vandalised campus property, and blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara highway.

Chandigarh: Violence erupted again at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab’s Phagwara on Sunday evening as protesting students clashed with police, with multiple police vehicles set ablaze amid stone-pelting and arson.  

Students allege that a female student of the university was raped, after which she committed suicide. At least three police SUVs were set on fire during the escalation, while several police personnel were reportedly injured. Police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the protesters after stones and other objects were allegedly hurled at them.

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The violence came hours after a large student protest over unverified social-media reports alleging that a female student had been raped on the university campus and subsequently died by suicide. The protests had earlier led to extensive damage to university property, with window panes and other infrastructure vandalised and some parts of the campus reportedly set on fire. Students also blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway, causing major disruption to traffic.

Initially, police officials said they had received no complaint or evidence substantiating the alleged rape. Later, however, police registered an FIR on rape charges against an unidentified person based on statements given by students, while a Special Investigation Team was constituted to verify the allegations, according to reports.

Kapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Toora told the media that the situation escalated after students allegedly started pelting stones at police personnel and set a police vehicle afire. He said the police had made efforts to maintain transparency in the investigation and shared relevant material, including CCTV footage, with students.

The university has also urged students and others not to amplify what it described as unverified information.

The latest violence has significantly heightened tensions on the campus, with a heavy police deployment maintained in the area. Authorities are investigating the allegations as well as the arson, vandalism and attacks on police vehicles.

Condemning the alleged sexual assault of the girl at LPU, Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia blamed the AAP leadership led by Arvind Kejriwal for the situation. “The accused should face the strictest punishment under law. But police inaction fuelled the situation. This was not merely a failure; it was a conspiracy! Ashok Mittal (LPU Chancellor) left AAP and joined BJP. Now, Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann and Manish Sisodia allegedly want to shut down LPU to settle scores with him,” Majithia wrote on X.

Students protesting on campus alleged that a sexual assault had taken place and accused the university authorities of refusing to accept it. The students also alleged that outsiders were involved in the vandalism.

The incident was the second major student protest at a private university in Punjab in the last two days, following unrest at Chitkara University in Rajpura in Patiala district. Hundreds of students protested at Chitkara University late Friday and early Saturday after unverified social media rumours claimed two female students were missing.

The unrest escalated into clashes with police, vandalism of two police vehicles and property damage on the campus. Both incidents highlight the speed with which unverified information circulating online can trigger big student gatherings and disruption at university campuses.

Authorities in both universities were continuing to assess the situation and verify the claims that have widely circulated on social media.