Punjab varsity students protest, block highway over unverified rape report

Private university students in Phagwara staged a protest on Sunday (September 27, 2026) in response to unverified social media reports alleging the rape of a female student. The incident unfolded around 2 a.m. when the students gathered at the Lovely Professional University (LPU) campus and blocked the national highway. Naveen Singla, DIG of Jalandhar Range, informed that police had initiated the process of registering a First Information Report (FIR) against an unidentified individual based on the allegations raised by the protesters.

The investigation would involve forensic analysis, CCTV footage examination, and phone data scrutiny, with a Special Investigation Team forming to probe the allegations, according to Singla. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kapurthula, Gaurav Toora, stated that the police have no information about any such crime. Videos showed students damaging window panes, flower pots, and setting objects on fire.

Toora explained that the students gathered due to rumors about the unverified claim of the alleged rape. The situation is now under control, and necessary legal actions will be taken for the property damage, according to Toora.