Protests by students of Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab's Phagwara escalated on Sunday over allegations that a female student was raped on the university campus, with police registering a case against an unknown person and forming a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the claims.
The protests turned violent, with students clashing with police and setting vehicles on fire. Police said several personnel were injured and three police SUVs were set ablaze during the violence. Explosions were also heard inside the campus, according to ANI.
The protests, which began near a girls' hostel around 1 am on Saturday, escalated as students allegedly damaged property and blocked a stretch of the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway-44 outside the campus.
The protests followed reports of an alleged rape and suicide. Similar protests had erupted at Chitkara University in Patiala a day earlier.
Police registered a rape case against an unknown person based on a complaint by students and formed an SIT to investigate the matter. The university, however, denied that a rape had taken place on campus, describing the allegations as “rumour”.
Dramatic scenes unfolded on the LPU campus, with one student climbing atop a decommissioned MiG-23UM aircraft installed on the premises, while others mounted a military tank.
Viral videos on social media purportedly showed protesters damaging window panes and flower pots and setting some objects on fire, with cries of "we want justice” heard in the background.
Protesters also blocked the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway-44 outside the campus, causing a massive traffic jam.
Students alleged that a female student staying in a girls' hostel had been raped by a plumber three days earlier. They also claimed that the hostel warden had been informed but no action was taken.
The management of LPU, however, maintained in a statement that there was no truth in the “rumours”. Registrar Monica Gulati said some anti-social elements were spreading “false”, “baseless” and “fabricated” allegations.
LPU also released a video statement by three female students from Room No. 504, Girls' Hostel-3, who claimed that no rape incident had taken place and said they had been staying there for the past two months.
Videos circulating on social media purportedly showed some protesters with their faces covered with handkerchiefs vandalising shops in the university mall and other properties on campus. Some could also be seen taking items from a grocery shop. The videos showed damaged vehicles and a vandalised ATM kiosk on the campus.
Traffic was diverted from the Phagwara highway stretch to the Phagwara-Jandiala road towards Jalandhar and via arterial roads as the blockade continued into Sunday afternoon.
Long queues of vehicles formed on the national highway, with stranded commuters arguing with protesters and some asking them to lift the blockade. The road blockade began at around 8 am.
Several rounds of talks between protesting students and LPU management remained inconclusive, although LPU Vice Chancellor Jaspal Singh Sandhu assured them that their genuine grievances would be resolved.
The protesters demanded that LPU Founder-Chancellor Ashok Mittal, who is also a BJP Rajya Sabha MP, come to the protest site and assure them that their issues would be resolved.
They also demanded that access to the University Management System, which allows them to access various university activities, not be blocked and that they not be victimised for taking part in the protest.
Following reports of the violence, a heavy police force was mobilised from Kapurthala, Jalandhar Rural and Hoshiarpur.
The students have claimed that the girl, who was staying in Hostel No. 3, returned to her house after no action was taken in the matter, DIG (Jalandhar Range) Naveen Singla, who reached the spot, said.
“An FIR has been registered based on the students' statement. A special investigation team (SIT) has also been formed, and a probe will be conducted along with the students' representatives,” the DIG said.
The students also have some other demands for which a meeting has been scheduled with the LPU management, Singla said.
“We will analyse forensic samples, CCTV camera footage, call records, etc., before reaching a conclusion,” the officer said.
Replying to a question, the DIG said the girl students are demanding that the entire hostel staff should comprise only women.
“The management will address these demands,” he said.
To another question, the DIG said a girl student from Telangana studying at LPU died by suicide 15 days ago.
“If the students say that there was foul play, action will be taken,” he said.
Asked about the students' claim of rape, LPU VC Jaspal Singh said the university doesn’t know about any such incident, adding that the authorities will cooperate in the probe.
Earlier, Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora said, “We spoke to the students who had some issues with the LPU administration. Efforts are underway to get them resolved. The situation is completely under control.”
LPU authorities claimed that certain anti-social elements were creating unnecessary confusion among students to disturb the peaceful academic environment of the university.
In its statement, the university said it appeared to be a “deliberate and concerted attempt to malign the reputation of the university and tarnish its image”.
“Students, parents and members of the public are requested not to believe, circulate or amplify such rumours; they should rely upon information communicated through official channels of the university,” it said.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
