LPU Protest Over Alleged Rape: FIR Filed, Highway Blocked

Protests at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab's Phagwara escalated after allegations concerning the rape of a female student circulated among students and on social media. What initially began as a student protest later turned violent, with parts of the campus vandalised, objects reportedly set on fire and protesters blocking the Jalandhar-Phagwara national highway.

According to Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla, students claimed that a female student had been raped around three days earlier and had subsequently returned home. Police said a rape case was registered based on the statement received in connection with the allegation.

The development followed an earlier statement from Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora, who said police had initially received no information about any rape incident before students began protesting.

"We got to know last night that students had blocked the Jalandhar highway. We went there and controlled the situation. We got to know then that the students flagged some issues with the LPU administration and that there were rumours of a rape case. Nothing about such a crime was reported to us," Toora said.

Police subsequently said they would investigate the students' concerns and the circumstances surrounding the allegations.

The protests began late at night and continued into Sunday morning. Large groups of students gathered on the campus, chanting slogans and demanding action.

As the situation escalated, window panes, flower pots and other university property were damaged. Some objects and parts of the campus were reportedly set on fire.

Students later moved onto the Jalandhar-Phagwara highway and blocked traffic. Reports also indicated disruption on the Ludhiana-Jalandhar route, resulting in significant congestion in the area.

One protesting student claimed that a female student had been raped by a construction worker on campus and was subsequently sent home by university authorities.

The protester further claimed that the student's roommate later informed other students that she had died by suicide.

However, the reported suicide has not been independently confirmed. It should therefore not be treated as an established fact while the investigation is continuing.

The protesting student also claimed that the demonstration was initially peaceful but that people who were not students entered the campus after university gates opened and participated in vandalism.

Police personnel were deployed around the university as authorities attempted to control the situation and communicate with students.

An assessment of damage to university property was also initiated, with police saying appropriate legal action would be considered in connection with the vandalism.

Lovely Professional University, meanwhile, issued a statement asking students to remain calm and stay inside their hostels, rooms or residences.

The university described information circulating on social media as false and misleading.

"The rumours circulating on social media are false and misleading and circulated by mischievous sources," the university said in its communication to students.

LPU also urged students not to participate in unrest or provocative activities and asked them to cooperate in maintaining order on campus.

The university separately rejected what it described as false, baseless and fabricated rumours and asked students, parents and members of the public to rely on information communicated through official channels.

The situation therefore contains competing accounts.

Students have raised serious allegations concerning the safety of a female student, while the university has rejected rumours circulating online. Police initially said they had received no previous complaint about the alleged incident but later confirmed registration of a rape case based on a statement concerning the allegation.

Further investigation will be required to establish the circumstances of the alleged assault and determine which additional claims circulating online can be independently verified.

Krihaa Analysis

The most important distinction in the LPU controversy is between what authorities have officially acknowledged and what continues to circulate as an unverified claim.

Police initially said they had no prior information about an alleged rape before the protests erupted. Later, Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla said a rape case had been registered based on a statement concerning the alleged incident.

Registration of a case means the allegation is now subject to a formal police investigation. It does not, by itself, establish that every version of events circulating on social media is accurate.

The claim that the female student subsequently died by suicide is particularly sensitive and should not be reported as confirmed without verification from police, the woman's family or another authoritative source.

Similarly, claims concerning the identity or occupation of the alleged perpetrator and allegations that university authorities deliberately concealed the incident require independent verification.

At the same time, the unrest itself is well documented. Students gathered in large numbers, university property was damaged and protesters blocked major roads around the campus.

For readers following the case, the next significant developments will be the findings of the police investigation, information concerning any identified accused person, evidence surrounding the alleged incident and subsequent official statements from Punjab Police.

Until those details emerge, reports should clearly distinguish the registered allegation from additional claims circulating among students and on social media.