Fresh protests at Lovely Professional University (LPU) at Phagwara in Punjab turned violent on Sunday evening, with students clashing with police, stones being hurled at security personnel, vehicles damaged and a police jeep allegedly set ablaze. More than a dozen people, including policemen, were injured in the confrontation.
The situation worsened when police moved to disperse the protesters after they blocked the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway. Police resorted to tear gas and reportedly used lathis to push back the gathering.
Videos circulating on social media purportedly showed some protesters with their faces covered with handkerchiefs vandalising shops in the university mall and other properties on campus. Some could also be seen taking items from a grocery shop. The videos showed damaged vehicles and a vandalised ATM kiosk on the campus.
According to police officials, the protesters subsequently began indiscriminate stone-pelting, forcing the force to use mild force to restore order. A police jeep was allegedly set on fire, while three other police vehicles were extensively damaged. Several people were injured in the clashes and were taken for medical treatment. The exact number and condition of those injured were not immediately available.
Phagwara SP Major Singh, DSP Palwinder Singh and SDM Navjot Sharma remained at the spot as police and civil administration officials struggled to bring the situation under control.
The latest violence followed a day of unrest on the LPU campus after students took to the streets over allegations that a woman student had been raped by an outsider on the university premises. Students had earlier gone on the rampage, damaging property and blocking the national highway, demanding action and answers from the authorities.
An FIR has been registered at Satnampura police station based on the statement of a girl student. She alleged that a student of LPU’s G-3 hostel was raped on September 23 and that the university administration subsequently attempted to suppress the matter.
The allegation is under investigation and has not been established. Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been constituted to probe the matter. The SIT comprises Phagwara SP Major Singh, DSP Palwinder Singh, a woman police inspector and representatives of the students.
However, protesting students said they remained dissatisfied with the police investigation and questioned the manner in which the case was being handled. They demanded what they described as a satisfactory explanation from the authorities.
Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora said the situation deteriorated after protesters allegedly began indiscriminate stone-pelting and set a police jeep on fire. He said the police had attempted to maintain transparency in the investigation and had shared relevant material, including CCTV footage, with students. Despite these efforts, he said, there was deep mistrust among sections of the student community towards the university administration. According to Toora, police officials had repeatedly tried to address the concerns of the protesters, but the situation proved difficult to bring under control.
Amid the escalating unrest, LPU rejected the claims circulating on social media, describing them as “false, baseless and fabricated”. In a statement issued by Registrar Monica Gulati, the university said certain “anti-social elements” were spreading misleading information and alleged that the manner in which the rumours were being circulated appeared to be a deliberate attempt to damage the institution’s reputation.
The university categorically denied the rumours currently circulating and appealed to students, parents and the public not to believe or share unverified information. LPU also urged students and parents to rely only on information disseminated through its official communication channels.
The latest confrontation has put the spotlight on the volatile impact of unverified social-media posts, videos and claims on large university campuses. The developments also raise questions about the ability of authorities and educational institutions to contain misinformation before it spills over into street protests and violence.
For now, the police investigation into the underlying allegation and the circumstances leading to Sunday’s clashes remains underway.
