Chandigarh, India – Allegations that a student was raped on the campus of Lovely Professional University in Punjab sparked an agitation that led to protesters, mainly students, blocking National Highway-44 near Phagwara on Sunday, disrupting traffic and clashing with police, hours after they went on a rampage, vandalising university property.
The police registered a first information report (FIR) containing rape charges against unknown persons and a special investigation team has been constituted to probe the matter on the basis of students’ allegations that a female student residing in the university’s GH-3 hostel was raped by a plumber three days ago. Students claimed that no action had been taken in the matter so far, and said the woman has since returned home, according to Deputy Inspector General of Police (Jalandhar Range) Naveen Singla. LPU has denied the allegations.
Despite the FIR and assurances from LPU Vice Chancellor Jaspal Singh Sandhu, protesters held their ground through Sunday, demanding that the university’s founder-chancellor and Rajya Sabha MP, Ashok Mittal, personally come to the protest site to give them his assurance of action in the case. In April, Mittal was one of seven Rajya Sabha MPs who quit the state’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party to join the BJP.
A clash broke out between the police and students on Sunday evening, when protesters allegedly threw bottles and stones at the police. Police responded with a lathi charge. Some police vehicles were then set on fire. Senior Superintendent of Police (Jalandhar) Harvinder Singh Virk told journalists that a few police personnel sustained injuries and police vehicles were damaged. Earlier, videos on social media showed protesters, some with their faces covered, vandalising property inside the campus.
Must Read: Virat Kohli Completes 15,000 Runs in ODI Cricket, Only Second After Sachin Tendulkar
In a statement, LPU said the allegation of rape on campus was untrue. LPU registrar Monica Gulati said rumours circulating on social media were false and misleading, and were circulated by mischievous sources. The university 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. Kapurthala’s Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Toora said police were informed about students gathering at the LPU campus and blocking the road at around 1:45 a.m., and that the gathering was triggered by rumours. The incident comes a day after students at Patiala-based Chitkara University held a protest alleging that two female students had died by suicide on their campus, allegations the police later said were unfounded.
