Stories
LPU Violence Probe Widens: University Checks Protester Mohd Farhat's Academic Records
- •Lovely Professional University (LPU) is investigating the academic records of Mohd Farhat, a protester whose involvement in the September 27-28 violence has been highlighted in viral videos.
- •University sources indicate that Farhat is not an active student, and a three-member disciplinary committee is scrutinizing 30-40 students for arson, vandalism, and security lapses.
- •The violence erupted following unverified social media claims of a female student's alleged rape and subsequent suicide, which police have found no evidence to support, and LPU has labeled as "false."
- •Protests escalated into violence, with students blocking NH-44, vandalizing property, and clashing with police, leading to injuries and damage to vehicles.
- •Mohd Farhat has denied extensive involvement in the destruction, claiming he tried to de-escalate the situation and is receiving death threats, while opposition parties demand an NIA probe into the LPU unrest.
Key Questions Answered
The protests were sparked by unverified social media rumors claiming that a female student had been raped on campus by an outsider and subsequently died by suicide, allegations that both the police and LPU have dismissed as completely false and fabricated.
University sources conducting an internal probe have indicated that, prima facie, Mohd Farhat is not an active student of the institution. Farhat has since issued a social media statement distancing himself from the destruction and claiming the circulated videos lack full context.
LPU suspended regular classes for 10 days starting September 28, postponed mid-term exams until further notice, and formed a three-member disciplinary committee to identify students involved in arson and vandalism. Many hostel residents were also temporarily sent home.
