Uneasy calm at LPU after violent protests, students leave as classes suspended for 10 days

An uneasy calm returned to Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab’s Phagwara on Monday, a day after protests over allegations of sexual assault of a woman student spiralled into violence, leaving parts of the campus vandalised and vehicles set on fire.

Punjab Police deployed additional personnel across the university as students began leaving for their hometowns after LPU suspended regular classes for 10 days from September 28. Mid-term examinations have also been postponed until further notice, with the university saying a revised schedule would be communicated separately.

Campus under watch

Police personnel were stationed across academic and hostel blocks on Monday as authorities sought to restore normalcy after the weekend unrest. Senior officers, including Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav and Special DGP (Law and Order) P K Sinha, visited the campus to review security arrangements.

Internet services around the university were also suspended as authorities sought to curb the circulation of unverified information. Students who chose to remain on campus were advised to stay inside their hostels or places of residence and avoid unnecessary movement.

Students head home

Large numbers of students began leaving the campus on Monday, travelling by buses, trains, cabs and other local transport. Parents from several states also arrived to take their children home following the violence.

LPU said students could travel home during the 10-day suspension after consulting their parents or guardians. The university said the decision to suspend classes was taken keeping the safety and well-being of students in mind.

Protest turned violent

The unrest began after claims circulated among students that a woman student had been sexually assaulted by an outsider inside a girls’ hostel. Students gathered on the campus before the protest escalated, with university property and shops damaged and several objects and vehicles set on fire.

Protesters also blocked a stretch of the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway. Police resorted to a lathicharge after personnel were allegedly pelted with stones and police vehicles were targeted. Several police personnel were injured during the clashes.

FIR, SIT probe

Police have registered an FIR against an unidentified person on rape charges and constituted a Special Investigation Team to investigate the allegations. The SIT includes police officers as well as student representatives.

Police have said the allegations could not be substantiated during their preliminary inquiry. Officers said three students staying in the hostel room where the assault was alleged to have taken place denied that such an incident had occurred. Investigators are examining CCTV footage, forensic evidence and phone data as part of the probe.

University denies allegation

LPU has denied the sexual-assault allegation, describing reports circulating about the incident as baseless and fabricated. Vice-Chancellor Jaspal Singh Sandhu has said the university would cooperate fully with the police investigation and provide CCTV footage and other material sought by investigators.

The university also released a video purportedly showing three students staying in the room linked to the allegation saying that no such incident had taken place there. Police, however, have said the investigation will continue and the circumstances surrounding the claims will be examined independently.

Vandalism under probe

Police are separately examining the violence and vandalism during the protests. CCTV footage is being analysed to identify those responsible for damaging property and setting vehicles and other objects on fire.

Authorities are also investigating whether outsiders were involved in the unrest. Police have said action will be taken against those found responsible for violence, even as security remains heightened around the university campus.