LPU Protest: ‘Rape and Suicide’ Rumours Spark Campus Vandalism and Highway Blockade (Videos)
Violent protests broke out at Lovely Professional University in Phagwara late Saturday after unverified social media rumours claimed a female student was raped. Students vandalised campus property, set fires, and blocked the national highway. Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora confirmed the highway was cleared and no rape complaint or evidence has been received.
Tension gripped Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab’s Phagwara late on Saturday night, September 26, after students vandalised university property and set parts of buildings on fire following unverified claims that a female student had been gangraped or had died by suicide. The unrest began around 2 am near the girls' hostel after a social media message alleging that an outsider had raped a female student went viral, prompting nearly 2,000 students to assemble on campus.
The demonstration quickly escalated into widespread unrest as sections of the crowd went on a rampage inside the campus before moving outward to block arterial transit routes, News18 reported. Protesters smashed window panes, threw bricks and flower pots, set objects and parts of structures ablaze, and damaged university entrance gates and signage. A vehicle was also reportedly set on fire amid the commotion, prompting the deployment of a heavy police contingent. Chitkara University: ‘Ghost’ Rumours and 'Missing Students' Claim Sparks Campus Protest and Vandalisation.
LPU Protest Videos
पंजाब –
BJP के राज्यसभा सांसद अशोक मित्तल की लवली प्रोफेशनल यूनिवर्सिटी में छात्रों का बवाल पूरी रात चला !!
एक छात्रा से रेप की सूचना कुछ व्हाट्स एप ग्रुप में वायरल हुई और छात्र भड़क गए। कल रात से अब तक हंगामा जारी है। https://t.co/brdu8XFcJr pic.twitter.com/nuigtz35AZ
— Sachin Gupta (@Sachingupta) September 27, 2026
Highway Blockade Causes Major Gridlock
During the demonstration, protesting students spilled onto the roads and laid siege to the national highway outside the campus. The students blocked the Ludhiana–Jalandhar route, as well as the Chandigarh–Amritsar National Highway, bringing vehicular traffic to an abrupt halt and causing severe congestion across the regional corridor.
Kapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Toora and senior district administration officials rushed to the location to defuse the situation. Riot control personnel and police teams managed to clear the arterial road, with authorities confirming that the highway has since been reopened to regular traffic. 'Jantar Mantar 2.0': Funny Memes Take Over Instagram After CJP Warns of Protest Against Gyanesh Kumar.
No Rape Complaint Filed, Say Cops
VIDEO | Phagwara, Punjab: LPU students block the Jalandhar-Phagwara Highway. Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora says, "We came to know that rumours were circulating here, and a large number of students gathered because of these rumours. I want to clarify that the police had never… pic.twitter.com/LhbN4sphs7
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 27, 2026
Police Clarify on Suicide and Find No Rape Complaint
Punjab Police stated that the allegations circulating online appeared to have stemmed from a misunderstanding and social media misinformation. Officials clarified that a female student had died by suicide four to five days ago in the vicinity of the campus's agriculture department, but emphasized that there was no complaint or evidence linking that tragedy to the sexual assault claims circulating among the student body.
“The students claim that there was a woman who was raped. We don't have a complaint about the girl,” SSP Gaurav Toora said, noting that neither the identity of the alleged victim nor that of any purported perpetrator has been established.
“Some students claimed a girl student died by suicide, while some claimed that the student was raped. This has led to unrest among students against the LPU administration. So far, we have found no substantiating evidence to corroborate the incident, and no complaint has been received by us,” SSP Toora added.
The university administration has dismissed the sexual assault allegations as “false, baseless and fabricated,” urging students not to fall prey to unverified rumours circulating on digital platforms.
Police confirmed that the situation was brought under control by Sunday morning, with round-the-clock monitoring continuing on the premises. Delegations of students are currently engaged in formal talks with the university administration and senior police officers to address administrative grievances and hostel safety protocols. Authorities added that an assessment of property damage is underway and legal action will be initiated regarding the acts of arson and vandalism.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 27, 2026 10:11 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
