Stones thrown, police vehicles torched as LPU protest over rape turns violent again
Students protesting an alleged sexual assault at Punjab's LPU clashed with police and set vehicles on fire. Police have filed a rape case and formed an SIT; the university denies the claim.
Last UpdatedSep 27, 2026 23:08 IST 
Published byThe student protest outside Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab’s Phagwara turned violent again on Sunday as protesters threw stones at police personnel and set at least three vehicles on fire.
The fresh violence followed overnight vandalism on campus and a highway blockade by students protesting an alleged sexual assault.
A senior police official said several personnel were injured when protesters threw stones and at least one police vehicle was damaged. The number of injured officers was not immediately known.
Police moved their vehicles away from the area to prevent further damage, while additional personnel regrouped nearby.
Police have registered a rape case on a female student’s complaint and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT). They say they have found no evidence so far to establish that the alleged assault took place. LPU has denied the allegation.
TALKS FAIL TO CALM STUDENTS
Earlier on Sunday, police met student representatives and the LPU management near the campus. Officers shared a copy of the FIR and details of the SIT with the representatives, but the talks did not end the protest.
The SIT, led by Phagwara SP Major Singh, includes DSP Palwinder Singh and a woman police inspector.
Students demanded an assurance from LPU Founder-Chancellor Ashok Mittal, a BJP Rajya Sabha MP.
They also sought a guarantee that their access to the University Management System would not be blocked and that they would not be penalised for protesting.
The blockade on the Delhi–Amritsar National Highway 44 continued into Sunday afternoon, leaving long queues of vehicles. Traffic was diverted along other roads as authorities worked to clear the highway.
WHAT THE FIR SAYS
The FIR was registered at Satnampura police station under Section 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with rape.
It is based on a female student’s complaint alleging that another student was assaulted around September 23–24 in the GH3 girls’ hostel. The complainant is not identified as the alleged victim.
Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla said investigators would examine forensic material, CCTV footage and call records before reaching a conclusion. Student representatives are being kept informed of the probe.
Police have not identified the alleged victim or an accused, and no arrest has been announced in connection with the allegation.
OVERNIGHT UNREST ON CAMPUS
The protest began near a girls’ hostel in the early hours of Sunday after claims about an assault spread among students. Protesters blocked the highway and damaged property inside the university.
Videos circulating online appeared to show broken windows, damaged shops and an ATM kiosk, and objects set on fire. One student was seen climbing onto a decommissioned aircraft displayed on campus.
Some students claimed a plumber had assaulted a hostel resident days earlier and that the warden had failed to act. Police have not verified those claims.
Before the FIR was filed, Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora had said police had received no rape complaint. Police have since registered the case but maintain that the allegation has yet to be substantiated.
Singla separately confirmed that a female LPU student from Telangana died by suicide about 15 days ago. Police have not established any connection between that death and the assault allegation.
LPU DENIES ASSAULT CLAIM
LPU Vice-Chancellor Jaspal Singh Sandhu said the university knew of no such assault and would cooperate with the investigation. He assured students that their genuine grievances would be addressed.
The university released a video of three students from Room 504 of GH3 saying no assault had taken place in their room.
Dean Sorabh Lakhanpal said students had been shown CCTV footage and allowed to inspect the room they had asked about, but the university had received no concrete information identifying the alleged victim.
LPU Registrar Dr Monica Gulati called the allegations circulating online “false, baseless and fabricated”.
The university has alleged that outsiders took part in the vandalism. Police are investigating the assault complaint and the violence separately.
Kamaljit Sandhu is an award winning journalist working as Deputy Editor in India Today. She has nearly two decades of experience as a full time TV
journalist. She covers "conflict" regions, Internal security matters, MEA and Parliament. Her work has often led to crisscrossing the country. She has also traveled to Pakistan and Iran, in pursuit of news stories.
In 2019, she received the ENBA Award for best news programming for her ground report on "surviving Bastar" which was based on the government's policy on inducting tribals in Crpf in chattisgarh to counter naxals.
Personal interests: Kamaljit likes travelling, interior decoration and playing scrabble, Has varied interests in sporting activities like swimming, badminton and Yoga.
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