Student protests at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab's Phagwara escalated into violence, disrupting academic activities and prompting the university to suspend classes for 10 days and postpone its mid-term examinations.
The unrest, which began on the night of September 26 and 27, followed reports circulating among students and on social media about the alleged rape of a female student on campus. Claims that the student had subsequently died by suicide also became part of the protests. However, the allegations have not been established, and the police investigation is ongoing. Let's explore what happened at LPU and how the situation unfolded.
The protests began after students raised allegations that a female student staying in the university's GH-3 hostel had been raped by an outsider. Some students also claimed that the woman had returned home following the alleged incident and that the university had not taken adequate action.
The allegations spread across the campus and social media, prompting students to gather during the night. Some protesters damaged campus property, including window panes and flower pots, while reports also emerged of objects being set on fire.
The university denied that the alleged incident had taken place, describing the circulating claims as false. It also shared a video featuring three female students from the hostel room number 504 associated with the allegations, in which they denied any such incident.
On September 27, students moved beyond the campus and blocked National Highway 44, which connects Jalandhar and Phagwara. The blockade disrupted traffic for several hours.
Students demanded action over the allegations, better campus security and the presence of the university's founder-chancellor and Rajya Sabha MP, Ashok Mittal, at the protest site.
Police registered a case concerning the alleged sexual assault against unidentified persons and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate. The team includes police officers and student representatives.
Despite the registration of the case and discussions with university officials, the protests continued. The situation deteriorated on Sunday evening, with clashes between protesters and police. Stones and other objects were reportedly thrown at police personnel, who responded with a lathi charge. Police vehicles were also set on fire, and several personnel were injured.
With the unrest affecting campus life, LPU suspended regular classes for 10 days from September 28. It also postponed mid-term examinations until further notice.
"Regular classes will remain suspended for a period of 10 days with effect from 28th Sept. 2026 (Monday). Mid-Term Examinations are postponed until further notice. The revised examination schedule will be communicated separately via UMS," LPU said.
"Students may, in consultation with their parents/guardians, travel to their hometowns during this 10-day period, if they wish to do so. Students who stay back are advised to stay inside their hostels/places of residence and avoid unnecessary movement or involvement in any unrest activities in the interest of their own safety," the university further stated.
The story so far, police said the situation had been brought under control and traffic had resumed on the highway. Security was strengthened across the campus, with police personnel deployed at academic and hostel buildings. Internet services in the area were also suspended amid concerns about the circulation of unverified information.
The immediate impact on students has been the suspension of classes and postponement of examinations. The revised examination schedule is expected to be communicated by the university separately. Be it LPU or IIT Bombay, the recent protests and campus rumours are disrupting exams and academic loss to students.