Punjab’s LPU student protesters blocked NH-44 and clashed with police following the alleged rape of a female student

Students of Lovely Professional University (LPU) staged a protest and blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway outside the campus over allegations that a student was raped by a stranger on the university campus near Phagwara in Punjab. | Photo credit: PTI

An allegation of rape of a student at the Lovely Professional University campus in Punjab sparked unrest that led to protesters, mainly students, blocking National Highway-44 near Phagwara on Sunday (27 September 2026), disrupting traffic and clashing with police, hours after they went on a rampage and destroyed university property.

The police have registered a first information report (FIR) alleging rape against unknown persons and a special investigation team has been constituted to investigate the matter based on the students’ claim that a female student residing in the university’s GH-3 hostel was raped by a plumber three days ago. The students claimed that no action has been taken in the matter so far and according to Deputy Inspector General of Police (Jalandhar Range) Naveen Singla, they said the woman has since returned home. The LPU denied the allegations.

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Students clashed with the police

Despite the FIR and assurances from LPU Vice-Chancellor Jaspal Singh Sandhu, the protesters held out till Sunday, demanding that the university’s founder-chancellor and Rajya Sabha MP, Ashok Mittal, personally come to the protest site to give them his assurance of action in the case. In April, Mr Mittal was one of seven Rajya Sabha MPs who quit the state’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to join the BJP.

The clash between the police and the students took place on Sunday evening when the protesters allegedly threw some bottles and stones at the police. The police responded with lathi charge. Some police vehicles were then set on fire. Senior Inspector of Police (Jalandhar) Harvinder Singh Virk told reporters that several policemen were injured and police vehicles were damaged.

Earlier, videos on social media platforms showed protesters, some of whom had their faces covered with handkerchiefs, vandalizing property inside the campus, damaging window panes and flower pots and setting some items on fire.

The LPU denies the allegations

In a statement, LPU said the allegation of rape on campus is false. LPU Registrar Monica Gulati said the rumors circulating on social media were false and misleading and were spread by malicious sources. The university also released a video statement with three female students from Room No. 504 of the GH-3 hostel claiming that no such incident took place and saying that they had been staying there for the past two months

Kapurthula Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Toora said the police were informed about the students who gathered at the LPU campus and blocked the road around 1.45 am. A heavy police force was deployed at the university to control the situation.

Notably, the LPU incident came a day after Patiala-based Chitkara University students staged a protest alleging that two female students had committed suicide on their campus and their bodies were disposed of. However, after an initial investigation, police said the allegations were baseless. “We have investigated the matter and the allegations have not been substantiated, no students have been found who died by suicide. The students are now also satisfied,” Senior Superintendent of Police Harmandeep Singh Hans told The Hindu.

Published – 27 Sep 2026 10:44 IST