Lovely Professional University on the boil: What has led to the students’ protest in Punjab?
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The story so far: On the intervening night of September 26 and 27, trouble began at Punjab’s Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara in Kapurthala district, with agitated students going on a rampage inside the campus, after an alleged rumour surfaced that a girl student had been raped on campus.
Scores of protesters, some of them with their faces covered with handkerchiefs, vandalised property inside the campus, damaging window panes, flower pots and setting some objects on fire during the night, according to purported videos on social media platforms.
Debris and charred remains lie scattered on the ground after a protest by students at the Lovely Professional University (LPU) campus, in Phagwara, Punjab, on September 27, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI
By Sunday (September 27, 2026) morning, the protesters took to the streets and blocked the National Highway-44 outside the university, which is situated on the stretch between Jalandhar and Phagwara. According to the students, the girl, a resident of the GH-3 hostel on campus, had, since the alleged rape incident, returned home and that no action had been taken in the matter so far. They also claimed that the university management was trying to bury the case and they were demanding swift action in the matter. Punjab Police, after receiving the information around 1.45 a.m. that students had gathered at the LPU campus and blocked the road, reached the spot immediately. The police said the gathering was triggered by rumours. A heavy police force was deployed at the university to control the situation.
As the protest continued, the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) surrounding rape charges against unknown persons. Also, a Special Investigation Team was constituted to probe the matter under Phagwara Superintendent of Police (SP) Major Singh, DSP Palwinder Singh and a woman police inspector, besides including five student members. Deputy Inspector General of Police (Jalandhar Range) Naveen Singla, who reached the spot, said that the FIR has been registered based on the statement of students. He said the protesting students alleged that a female student residing in the university hostel had been raped by an outside worker three days ago.
LPU said there was no truth to the rumours and claimed that certain anti-social elements were spreading completely false, baseless and fabricated rumours. LPU also released a video statement featuring three female students from room no. 504 of the GH-3 hostel, in which they claimed that no such incident had taken place and said they had been staying there for the past two months. In a statement, LPU said “The rumours circulating on social media are false and misleading and circulated by mischievous sources. You are advised not to participate in any unrest, to remain safely inside your hostel-room-residence and to avoid involvement in any provocative or disruptive activities. Kindly cooperate in maintaining a calm and orderly campus environment.
Despite the police registering the case and LPU Vice Chancellor Jaspal Singh Sandhu assuring the students that any other grievances would also be resolved, the protesters continued blocking National Highway-44 near Phagwara till evening, disrupting traffic and clashing with police. Later, a clash broke out between the police and students on Sunday (September 27, 2026) night, when protesters allegedly threw some bottles and stones at the police. Police responded with a lathi charge. Some police vehicles were then set on fire. The police said the situation on Monday (September 28, 20260 morning has been brought under control and the National Highway has been cleared for traffic. The University has suspended classes for ten days and postponed mid-term exams amid the protest.
The students while blocking the road demanded the university’s founder-chancellor and Rajya Sabha MP, Ashok Mittal, personally come to the protest site to give them assurance. Ensuring security of students on the campus. and arrest of the accused are their key demands.
Mr. Mittal had in April this year, quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is in power in Punjab, and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On April 24, seven of AAP’s 10 Rajya Sabha members had quit the party and Mr. Mittal was one among them.
Notably, the incident at LPU comes a day after students at Patiala-based Chitkara University held a protest, alleging that two female students died by suicide on their campus and their bodies were disposed of. The Police, however, after the initial probe found the allegations to be unfounded. “We investigated the matter and the allegations did not hold up, no such students were found who died by suicide. The students are also satisfied now,” Senior Superintendent of Police Harmandeep Singh Hans told The Hindu.
Punjab Police is looking into the sudden unrest at Chitkara University in Rajpura and LPU in Phagwara, with investigators trying to determine the causes behind the two incidents and whether they may be connected. If the students did die, where are they? No victim has been identified or traced so far.
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