PHAGWARA, September 27, 2026 – Thousands of students at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab’s Phagwara went on a rampage early Sunday, staging a massive and violent protest following unverified social media reports claiming that a female student had been allegedly raped by a worker. The demonstrations rapidly escalated, with agitated students damaging campus property, shattering window panes, destroying flower pots, and setting objects on fire. In addition to vandalizing the university premises, a large crowd of protesters spilled out of the campus and blocked the busy Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway, severely disrupting vehicular movement across the region, including traffic heading towards Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
The unrest reportedly began around 1:45 am, driven by claims that a female resident of the G3 hostel had been sexually assaulted three days earlier (September 24), and that the university administration had failed to take appropriate action. Kapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Toora, who rushed to the scene along with heavy police reinforcements, categorically stated that the police had received no prior information or official complaint regarding any such crime before the protests erupted. SSP Toora clarified that the massive gathering was entirely fueled by rumours circulating on social media. He added that even during the protests, the agitating students were unable to provide any specific details about the alleged victim or the accused. However, DIG Jalandhar Range, Naveen Singla, confirmed that the police later received a statement from the students and initiated the process of registering an FIR against unknown persons to thoroughly investigate the claims using forensic and technical analysis.
The university administration strongly refuted the allegations. Dr. Monica Gulati, Registrar of LPU, issued a statement terming the rumours as “completely false, baseless and fabricated”. She alleged that anti-social elements were systematically circulating misleading information through social media in a deliberate attempt to disturb the peaceful academic environment and tarnish the institution’s reputation. The administration urged students, parents, and the public not to believe or amplify the unverified claims. Meanwhile, local police authorities stated that they are engaging with student representatives to address their broader grievances regarding the administration’s alleged unresponsiveness, noting that the situation on the campus has now been brought under control.
Published by True Roots Media Network