Stories
LPU Campus Erupts: 2,000 Students Protest Alleged Assault, SIT Probe Ordered
- •Tensions escalated at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, Punjab, following student protests over an alleged sexual assault claim.
- •The protest involved approximately 2,000 students, leading to property damage, fires, and a blockade of NH-44; several police personnel were injured.
- •Police have registered an FIR against an unidentified person and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the claim, including CCTV footage.
- •LPU denies the alleged sexual assault, calling social media claims false, while Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has directed police to address the situation.
- •LPU has suspended classes for 10 days and postponed mid-term examinations in response to the unrest.
Key Questions Answered
Tensions and protests escalated at Lovely Professional University after students gathered to demand action over an unverified social media claim regarding an alleged sexual assault involving a female student. The demonstration turned violent, resulting in property damage, fires, and a blockade of the Jalandhar-Phagwara stretch of NH-44.
LPU strongly denied the allegations, calling the claims circulating on social media false, baseless, and fabricated attempts to damage the university's reputation. In response to the unrest, the university suspended regular classes for 10 days and postponed mid-term examinations.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directed state police leadership to handle the situation, leading police to register an FIR against an unidentified person and establish a Special Investigation Team to review CCTV footage and evidence. A 7-member SIT comprising student representatives, university management, and senior police officials was formed to investigate the matter.
