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Classes have been suspended at one of India’s largest private universities after an unverified allegation that a female student was raped on campus triggered protests that later turned violent, according to the BBC.
Police have registered a case and are investigating whether the alleged assault at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab took place. The university has denied the allegation.
No student has come forward as an alleged victim, police have not identified a suspect, and CCTV footage examined so far has provided no evidence of an attack. Investigators say they are continuing to review footage from the sprawling campus.
How the protests began
Rumours began circulating in student WhatsApp groups in the early hours of 27 September. The allegation concerned an assault said to have taken place several days earlier in or near a university hostel.
Students and media reports variously described the alleged suspect as a plumber, painter or construction worker. Some students said the incident had occurred on 23 September and accused the university of failing to respond after being informed.
The rumours drew hundreds of people onto National Highway 44, a major route between Delhi and Punjab, blocking traffic for more than 15 hours. University property was damaged, objects were set alight and stones were thrown at police vehicles. Police vehicles were damaged and officers were injured, while parts of the campus were vandalised.
Videos showed police using canes against protesters, although police later denied carrying out a baton charge. Some students said masked or unfamiliar people had entered the campus, while police confirmed that outsiders were present but said their identities and role were still being established.
Why police registered a rape case
Registering a formal complaint was one of the protesters’ main demands. Senior police official Naveen Singla said students had requested a First Information Report, or FIR, but had not provided the name of an alleged victim.
Police nevertheless registered an FIR under India’s rape law against “an unidentified person”. An FIR records an allegation for investigation and does not establish that a crime occurred.
“As of now, it can’t be verified that rape has happened or not,” Singla said, adding that officers were continuing to examine CCTV footage. Police official Sinha said investigators had initially checked locations identified by students but had not yet reviewed every camera on the large campus.
Students leave as classes are suspended
The university said claims circulating on social media were false and baseless. However, the unrest prompted students to leave their hostels within hours, while key examinations were postponed.
Students who remained on campus described a night of fear. One student told BBC Punjabi that residents were instructed to lock their rooms and that some stayed inside with knives and scissors after people knocked on their doors.
On Monday, “Lovely Professional University” released a video featuring three women who lived in a room linked to the alleged assault. They said nothing had happened there. The women later alleged in another video that university officials had instructed them what to say, edited the recording and published it without their consent. Those claims have not been independently verified, and the university has not commented on them.
Police also said there was no verified evidence linking the allegation to the recent suicide of a female student from Telangana state.
Regular classes have been suspended for 10 days, exams have been postponed and students have been asked to return home after consulting their parents or guardians. Those staying on campus have been advised to remain in their residences and avoid further unrest.
The Punjab State Women’s Commission has requested the FIR, details of the investigation and information about measures taken to ensure students’ safety.
Investigators must now determine whether there is evidence that the alleged assault occurred and who was responsible for the violence that followed.
