A major protest erupted at Lovely Professional University in Punjab’s Phagwara after allegations concerning the rape of a female student circulated on social media. The unrest began near a girls’ hostel before spreading across the campus, with students damaging property and later blocking the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway.
The situation escalated after students claimed that a female student staying at the university’s G-3 hostel had allegedly been raped several days earlier and subsequently returned home. Some students also linked the allegation to reports of a suicide, although authorities are separately examining a suicide reported on the campus around two weeks earlier.
The police response has evolved as the investigation progressed. Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora initially said police had not received a complaint concerning the alleged incident and that the claims circulating among students were unverified. However, Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla later said police had recorded a statement and begun the process of registering a rape FIR. He said the allegation would be thoroughly investigated using digital and technical evidence.
Meanwhile, the protest turned violent, with reports of smashed windows, damaged property and objects being set on fire inside the university. Students also blocked the national highway, disrupting traffic before police restored movement.
Lovely Professional University has denied the allegations as false and baseless, urging students, parents and the public not to circulate unverified information. Police have also begun assessing the property damage, while discussions between students and university management are being arranged.
The investigation will now determine the facts surrounding the allegation and establish whether the reported incident occurred.
