Hundreds of students at Lovely Professional University (LPU), located on the outskirts of Jalandhar in Punjab, erupted in protest late on Sunday, 27 September, after unverified social media rumours alleged that a female student had been sexually assaulted on campus by an outsider. The unrest led to property damage, fires, and the blocking of a national highway, prompting police to initiate an FIR and deploy heavy security forces across the campus.

What Triggered the Unrest

The demonstrations were sparked by rumours circulating on social media claiming that a girl residing in the G3 hostel had been raped three days earlier, and that the university administration had taken no action. Students poured onto campus late at night, blocking the Jalandhar-Phagwara section of the National Highway for several hours, vandalising university property, and setting some items on fire.

Protesting students alleged that a sexual assault had indeed taken place and accused university authorities of refusing to acknowledge it. They also claimed that outsiders were involved in the vandalism that accompanied the protests.

What Police and Officials Said

Deputy Inspector General (Jalandhar Range) Naveen Singla, who personally arrived at the LPU campus to review the situation, addressed the media and confirmed that an FIR was being registered. 'Their primary demand is that three days ago a girl from the G3 hostel was raped, and no action had been taken regarding this until now. We have recorded their statement and initiated the registration of an FIR, and they will receive a copy shortly,' he said.

Singla added that the complaint names an unknown person as the accused for now, and that the identity of the complainant remained unclear — a matter under active investigation. He also confirmed that a meeting between the university management and student leaders had been scheduled for noon.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Superintendent of Police (Phagwara) Major Singh, has been constituted to probe the case.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Kapurthala) Gaurav Toora offered a note of caution, stating that the incident triggering the unrest remained unverified. 'So far, we have found no substantiating evidence to corroborate the incident,' he told reporters.

University Denies Allegations

LPU Registrar Monica Gulati issued a statement firmly denying the allegations. 'There is no truth in the rumours currently being circulated,' she said, urging students, parents, and the general public not to believe or amplify unverified information and to rely solely on official university channels.

Gulati alleged that 'anti-social elements' were deliberately spreading false and fabricated information through social media, creating confusion and disrupting the academic environment. She characterised the circulation of such information as a calculated attempt to malign the university's reputation.

Pattern of Unrest: Second Punjab University Incident in Two Days

The LPU violence marks the second major student protest at a private university in Punjab within two days. On late Friday and into early Saturday, hundreds of students at Chitkara University in Rajpura, Patiala district, staged a protest after unverified social media rumours claimed two female students were missing. That unrest escalated into clashes with police, vandalism of two police vehicles, and property damage on campus.

Authorities at both institutions were continuing to assess the situation and verify the claims at the time of reporting. The back-to-back incidents highlight how quickly unverified information spreading online can mobilise large student gatherings and trigger significant disruption at university campuses across the state.

What Happens Next

The SIT is expected to begin formal investigation immediately, with police prioritising the identification of the complainant and verification of the alleged assault. Authorities will also review the role of social media in amplifying the unverified claims. The dialogue between LPU management and student leaders, scheduled for noon, is seen as a key step toward restoring calm on campus.