Tensions flared dramatically at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab as a student-led protest over unverified claims of an alleged campus assault spiraled into widespread violence, property damage, and a major highway blockade. The demonstrations, which began late Saturday night, continued intensely through Sunday morning, drawing heavy police intervention.
According to video footage from the scene, what started as peaceful student slogan-chanting quickly degraded into chaos. Windows were smashed, flower pots were destroyed, and minor fires were set to parts of the university premises. Frustrated by a lack of immediate institutional clarity, groups of students also spilled onto the Jalandhar-Phagwara national highway, blocking traffic and causing severe gridlock.
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Speaking on the unfolding situation, Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla stated that student representatives alleged a female hostel resident had been assaulted by a construction worker roughly three days prior and subsequently sent home. “We have registered a rape case on the basis of that statement,” he confirmed to reporters. Meanwhile, rumors quickly spread among student circles—fueled by unverified claims from roommates—that the victim had allegedly died by suicide, intensifying the campus outrage.
However, Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora offered a contrasting perspective, noting that no official complaints had been reported to the police prior to the unrest. “We got to know last night that students had blocked the Jalandhar highway. We went there and controlled the situation… Nothing about such a crime was reported to us,” Toora explained. He added that the initial escalation may have been fueled by a profound misunderstanding between the student body and the administration, compounded by reports that non-student outsiders had infiltrated the protest to intentionally spark vandalism.
