Chandigarh, Sep 27
Hundreds of students at a private university on the outskirts of Punjab’s Jalandhar protested late on Sunday over rumours circulating on social media that a student had been sexually assaulted on campus by an outsider, damaging property, setting fires and blocking a national highway, officials and students said.
Police said they had initiated the registration of a first information report (FIR) on the statements of students, and heavy security was deployed to maintain law and order.
The unrest at Lovely Professional University (LPU) resulted in protesters blocking the Jalandhar-Phagwara section of the National Highway for several hours, while property on the university campus was damaged and some items were set on fire, the police said.
Deputy Inspector General (Jalandhar Range) Naveen Singla, who reached the LPU campus to review the situation, told the media, “Their (students) primary demand is that three days ago a girl from the G3 hostel was raped, and no action had been taken regarding this until now. We have recorded their statement and initiated the registration of an FIR, and they will receive a copy shortly.”
He said the students have other demands too, and a meeting between the university management and students has been scheduled for noon. “We have spoken to student leaders, and the meeting will take place at noon. As for the FIR, it will be registered,” he said.
Singla clarified that the complaint stated that a girl residing there was raped, and accordingly, an FIR is being registered against an unknown person for now. However, the girl’s name is not clear, and that is part of the investigation.
He said a Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by Superintendent of Police (Phagwara) Major Singh, has been constituted to investigate the case.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Kapurthala) Gaurav Toora said an unverified incident of rape of a student led to unrest among students. “So far, we have found no substantiating evidence to corroborate the incident,” he told the media.
The LPU, however, denied the allegations being circulated on social media. “There is no truth in the rumours currently being circulated,” LPU Registrar Monica Gulati said in a statement.
She urged students, parents and the public not to believe or amplify the rumours and to rely on information issued through official university channels.
Gulati said the university has come to know that “anti-social elements” were spreading what she described as false and fabricated information through social media and other channels, creating confusion among students and disrupting the academic environment.
She said the circulation of the information appeared to be a deliberate attempt to malign the university and tarnish its reputation. Students protesting on campus alleged that a sexual assault had taken place and accused the university authorities of refusing to accept it. The students also alleged that outsiders were involved in the vandalism.
The incident was the second major student protest at a private university in Punjab in the last two days, following unrest at Chitkara University in Rajpura in Patiala district.
Hundreds of students protested at Chitkara University on late Friday and early Saturday after unverified social media rumours claimed two female students were missing.
The unrest escalated into clashes with police, vandalism of two police vehicles and property damage on the campus. Both incidents highlight the speed with which unverified information circulating online can trigger big student gatherings and disruption at university campuses. Authorities in both universities were continuing to assess the situation and verify the claims that have widely circulated on social media.
