‘Miscreants entered campus, wore masks’: LPU students recall 'horrific' night of unrest

Violence erupted at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, Punjab after unconfirmed reports claimed a sexual assault on campus. The university denied the allegations, calling them "baseless" and "fabricated". A rape case was registered against an unknown person and a Special Investigation Team was set up to investigate the matter. However, senior police officers stated they could not confirm the allegation during the preliminary investigation.

The protesters demanded justice for the alleged victim and action against anyone found responsible. They also demanded more security in girls' hostels, no male staff in areas where girl students live, and greater accountability for hostel officials. LPU has over 35,000 students from India and abroad, with Founder-Chancellor Ashok Mittal being a BJP Rajya Sabha MP who switched from the AAP in April.

Following the violence, the university suspended classes for 10 days. Students began leaving the campus on Monday, with a Northeastern student expressing her fears about outsiders entering the campus and the safety of other students. She requested the university to ensure outsiders are not allowed in the campus, as they are not concerned about student safety.

Other students shared similar concerns, stating the presence of outsiders during Sunday's unrest heightened their fears. LPU officials expressed worry about outsiders entering the campus during the protest. An outsider was detained after being found with a walkie-talkie and a weapon. Security on the campus has been increased, with over 2,000 police personnel deployed on and around the campus, and a flag march carried out.