Violence erupts at LPU Phagwara as protesting students clash with police over unverified rape and suicide reports, setting police SUVs on fire.
Published: September 27, 2026, 11:35 PM IST
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LPU protest (IANS)
Chandigarh: Severe violence erupted at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab’s Phagwara on Sunday evening, September 27, 2026, as protesting students clashed with police personnelThe agitation, triggered by unverified social media reports alleging that a female student had been raped and subsequently died by suicide, escalated into widespread stone-pelting and arson, leaving several police officers injured and multiple police vehicles destroyed.
Students block Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway
The protests had earlier led to extensive damage to university property, with window panes and other infrastructure vandalised and some parts of the campus reportedly set on fireStudents also blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway, causing major disruption to trafficInitially, police officials said they had received no complaint or evidence substantiating the alleged rape.
Later, however, police registered an FIR on rape charges against an unidentified person based on statements given by students, while a Special Investigation Team was constituted to verify the allegations, according to reportsKapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Toora told the media that the situation escalated after students allegedly started pelting stones at police personnel and set a police vehicle afire.
Authorities are investigating the allegations as well as the arson, vandalism and attacks on police vehiclesCondemning the alleged sexual assault of the girl at LPU, Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia blamed the AAP leadership led by Arvind Kejriwal for the situation.
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 districtHundreds of students protested at Chitkara University late Friday and early Saturday after unverified social media rumours claimed two female students were missing.
Story highlights
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Protest Escalation: Demonstrations following unverified online rumors quickly intensified on Sunday evening, leading to confrontation between protesting students and security forces.
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Arson and Vehicle Damage: Protesters engaged in heavy stone-pelting and set fire to at least three police SUVs during the clash.
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Police Intervention: Facing hurled stones and objects, police resorted to a lathi charge to control the crowd, during which several officers sustained injuries.
The unrest escalated into clashes with police, vandalism of two police vehicles and property damage on the campusBoth incidents highlight the speed with which unverified information circulating online can trigger big student gatherings and disruption at university campusesAuthorities in both universities were continuing to assess the situation and verify the claims that have widely circulated on social media.
