Violence over sexual assault claim in LPU, university denies incident

Students at Lovely Professional University (LPU) staged a violent protest on Sunday, damaging property and vandalizing shops in the area. The demonstration was sparked by allegations of a sexual assault on a girl student by an "outsider" on campus. However, the university denied the claims, labeling them as "baseless and fabricated rumors."

As a result, LPU suspended classes for 10 days from September 28 and postponed mid-term examinations. Students were advised to remain in their hostels or avoid leaving their residences during the unrest. Police registered an FIR against an unidentified person for rape, but were unable to substantiate the allegations during preliminary investigations.

Three girls who were present in the hostel room where the assault was alleged to have occurred denied any such incident. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to further probe the matter, led by SP (Phagwara) Major Singh. The unrest occurred shortly after another protest at Chitkara University, where students claimed to have heard girls' screams from the hostel and set a police vehicle on fire over unverified claims.