Punjab LPU students protest, block highway over rape rumour

Chandigarh: Hundreds of students at a private university on the outskirts of Punjab’s Jalandhar staged a protest late on Sunday over rumours circulating on social media that a student had been raped on campus by an outsider, with protesters damaging property, setting some items on fire and blocking a national highway, officials and students said.

Police had not confirmed any rape complaint at the time of filing this report, and there was no independent confirmation of the alleged assault.

The unrest at Lovely Professional University (LPU) led protesters to block 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, police said.

The university denied the allegations circulating 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 had learnt 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 the campus said they wanted the authorities to register a first information report (FIR) and investigate their concerns. Some protesters alleged that a sexual assault had taken place and accused the university authorities of refusing to accept the complaint.

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 past two days, following unrest at Chitkara University in Rajpura in Patiala district.

Hundreds of students protested at Chitkara University late on Friday and early Saturday after unverified social media rumours claimed that two female students were missing.

The unrest escalated into clashes with police, vandalism of two police vehicles and damage to property on the campus.

Both incidents highlight how quickly unverified information circulating online can trigger large student gatherings and cause disruption at university campuses.

Authorities at both universities were continuing to assess the situation and verify the claims that had widely circulated on social media.

With IANS inputs