PHAGWARA, SEP 27: Students of a private university in Punjab’s Phagwara staged a protest and allegedly damaged property on campus early Sunday following claims that a female student was raped by an outsider.
The protest also led to the blocking of the Jalandhar-Phagwara national highway, causing a major traffic disruption in the area. Police said an FIR would be registered based on a complaint from the protesting students.
The unrest began around 1 am near the university’s girls’ hostel, where students alleged that a female student had been raped by a plumber several days earlier. They also claimed that the hostel warden had been informed but no action was taken.
Videos circulating on social media purportedly showed students damaging window panes, flower pots and other property on the campus. Some shops were also allegedly vandalised, while objects were reportedly set on fire.
Following the protest, police forces from Kapurthala, Jalandhar Rural and Hoshiarpur were deployed. Traffic on the affected highway stretch was diverted through alternate routes.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Jalandhar Range, Naveen Singla, said police would register an FIR against an unknown person based on the students’ complaint.
He said the allegations would be investigated through forensic examination, CCTV footage and phone analysis, with student representatives also involved in the investigation process. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is expected to be constituted.
Police officials said the students claimed that the girl had subsequently returned to her home and alleged that no action had been taken in the matter.
The protesting students also raised other demands, including that the university’s hostel staff should be entirely female. A meeting between student representatives and the university management was scheduled to discuss their demands.
Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora said that when police reached the campus, they found that the protest had started following rumours regarding the alleged incident. He said the situation was under control and that police were working to address the concerns raised by the students.
Meanwhile, Lovely Professional University (LPU) denied the allegations and said rumours circulating on social media were false and baseless.
In a statement, the university alleged that certain elements were spreading fabricated information through social media and other channels, creating confusion among students and attempting to disturb the campus environment.
The university appealed to students, parents and the public not to circulate unverified information and to rely on official communication.
The incident comes a day after students at Chitkara University in Patiala staged a protest following unverified claims concerning two female students. Protesters had also allegedly damaged a police vehicle during that incident.
