Violent protests broke out at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Jalandhar late Saturday after social media reports circulated claims of a rape and suicide on the campus. Students damaged university property, smashed windows and set parts of buildings on fire.
The protesting students also blocked the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway around 4 am, demanding that an FIR be registered and the allegations investigated.
The situation took a new turn on Sunday when Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla said a female student staying at the university's G-3 hostel had allegedly been raped three days earlier. Police said the preliminary investigation had established the alleged incident and that the student had since returned home.
Singla said police had recorded the student's statement and begun the process of registering an FIR under the relevant sections. He added that digital and technical evidence would be collected as part of the investigation.
Police also said students had raised concerns about the alleged suicide of a Telangana student on the university campus around two weeks ago. Inquest proceedings had earlier been initiated under Section 174 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita after statements were recorded from the student's family. Police said they would also investigate this matter following demands from students.
The protests initially intensified after rumours spread on social media. Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora said police had received information about a law-and-order situation around 2 am and personnel from Jalandhar Rural, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala were deployed.
The university had initially denied the rape-suicide claims, describing them as false and fabricated. LPU registrar Monica Gulati said certain elements were spreading rumours through social media and urged students, parents and the public to rely only on official communication.
Police later said the situation had been brought under control and traffic on the national highway had resumed. Authorities are assessing the damage to university property, while discussions between students and the university management are also being held over hostel facilities and other concerns.
The incident comes a day after similar unrest at Chitkara University in Patiala following unverified social media claims about two student suicides. Police and the university had denied those reports, saying no such deaths had been reported on the campus.
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