CHANDIGARH: A day after angry protests by students of Chitkara University in Rajpura near Patiala, students of another private university near Jalandhar in Punjab held a massive and violent protest on the campus on Sunday night, as students of Lovely Professional University (LPU) near Jalandhar over an unverified report of the alleged rape of a girl student by an outsider on the university campus turned violent.
The protesters damaged property on the campus and set some objects on fire. They even blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway outside the university for some time, which has now been restored for traffic. The LPU dismissed the allegations as “false, baseless and fabricated”.
The unrest and protest, which reportedly began near the girls’ hostel, intensified as around 2,000 students from different hostels joined in, and the protesting students went on a rampage, damaging property, smashing window panes, pelting bricks and flower pots, and even setting parts of buildings inside the campus on fire.
By 2 am, a large number of students had gathered and moved towards the main entrance of the university, damaged campus signages and then staged a protest on the National Highway around 4 am. The situation went out of control, with the university's internal private security personnel appearing helpless.
The National Highway between Phagwara and Jalandhar has been blocked, and heavy security has been deployed by the Kapurthala police to prevent further arson inside the campus and damage to property.
Police said a woman had died by suicide three days ago near the campus's agriculture department. But they said there was no complaint linking her death to the rape allegations circulating among students.
Police reached the spot and cleared the highway, which has since been reopened. The situation was brought under control, while talks are underway between the students and the university administration. Senior Superintendent of Police of Kapurthala Gaurav Toora, along with a heavy police force, reached the spot.
Senior Superintendent of Police of Kapurthala Gaurav Toora said that a viral message on social media about an unverified incident of rape of a student had led to unrest among students on the LPU campus.
“So far, the police have found no substantiating evidence to corroborate the incident, and no complaint has been received till now. The students have caused heavy damage to university property. They have currently laid siege to National Highway One. I am at the spot. We are trying to talk to the students and pacify them. The situation has started to come under control. We expect things to get settled in some time,” he said and added that the identity of the woman and the purported perpetrator had not been established.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Jalandhar Range) Naveen Singla, who reached the spot, said all SSPs of the range and police force have been mobilsed.
He said students were claiming that the girl subsequently returned to her house and that no action has been taken in the matter. Singla said police will register an FIR in the matter on the statement of students.
They also have certain other demands for which a meeting has been scheduled with LPU management at 12 noon, the DIG said. Singla said after the registration of the FIR, a copy will be handed over to them.
"The matter will be investigated and there will be a forensic analysis, CCTV analysis, phone analysis. Investigation will be conducted with along the student leaders," he said.
The DIG said the FIR will be registered against an unknown person. He further said a special investigation team will be formed in the matter.
Replying to a question, the DIG said the girl students are also demanding that the entire hostel staff should be manned by women. These demands will be addressed by the management, he said.
Students took to social media, posting videos of the chaos and venting their anger against the LPU administration.
Meanwhile, LPU strongly rejected the allegations, saying “anti-social elements” were spreading false information through social media and other channels to create confusion among students and disturb the campus environment.
LPU Registrar Dr Monica Gulati said, “The university categorically clarifies that there is no truth in the rumours presently being circulated. The circulation of the claims appeared to be a ‘deliberate and concerted attempt’ to malign its reputation and urged students, parents and the public not to believe, circulate or amplify the rumours. It asked students and others to rely only on information communicated through the university's official channels.”
