Full Breakdown
LPU Campus Unrest Escalates After Alleged Rape Claim
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Protest, Highway Blockade and Violence
On September 27, 2026, students at Lovely Professional University (LPU) blocked National Highway-44 after an unverified claim that a female student had been raped on campus. The protest turned violent that evening: stone-throwing, a police lathi charge and university property set alight. Police reported injuries to several officers and damage to police vehicles. The unrest spread to the campus interior, where windows, flower pots and shop fixtures were broken, and some shops were looted.
Background & Context
The allegation involved a student residing in the GH-3 hostel, said to have been assaulted by a plumber three days earlier. LPU registrar Monica Gulati called the rumors “false and misleading,” and Vice-Chancellor Jaspal Singh Sandhu denied any rape took place. A similar protest at Chitkara University earlier this year was later dismissed by police.
Timeline
- Sept 26 – Reddit post and WhatsApp messages alleged a rape on campus.
- Sept 27 – Protest begins; highway blockade starts around 8 a.m.; FIR filed and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed.
- Sept 28 – LPU suspends offline classes for ten days and postpones mid-term exams.
- Oct 5-7 – Scheduled online classes; attendance compulsory.
- Oct 8-9 – Optional offline return with doubt-clearing sessions.
- Oct 12-17 – Rescheduled mid-term examinations.
- Wednesday (date not specified) – Punjab and Haryana High Court to hear a PIL seeking a CBI probe.
Official Statements & Responses
- DIG Naveen Singla (Jalandhar Range) said the FIR was filed based on the students’ complaint and that the SIT would analyse forensic samples, CCTV footage and call records.
- SSP Gaurav Toora (Kapurthala) described the gathering as “triggered by rumours” and said police were working to resolve student grievances.
- ADG Praveen Sinha affirmed the investigation was “well underway” and that all involved persons would be identified.
- Dean of Students Welfare Dr Saurabh Lakhanpal said the university was independently verifying videos.
- Ashok Mittal, founder-chancellor and BJP Rajya Sabha MP, declined to comment on the violence, saying he would speak “separately” and focused on a party rally.
Criticism & Opposition
Former Chief Minister and Congress MP Singh Channi and SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged the university was being targeted by the AAP government after Mittal’s party switch. Former Phagwara mayor Arun Kholsa claimed the state government orchestrated the violence by bringing “goons” from outside. These statements were made during a BJP rally.
On-the-Ground Reports
Social-media videos showed protesters with handkerchief-covered faces vandalising campus shops, breaking CCTV cameras and looting items. Footage captured a student climbing a decommissioned MiG-23 aircraft and others mounting a military tank. Police later identified a group carrying walkie-talkies and a traditional weapon as Indian Army personnel checking on officers’ children on campus.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Rape allegation: Police have registered a case against an unidentified person, while LPU officials maintain no such incident occurred.
- Identity of “outsiders”: Petitioners described masked individuals with weapons; police clarified the walkie-talkie-bearing men were Army officers, not anti-social elements.
What’s Next
The Punjab and Haryana High Court will hear the PIL seeking a CBI probe. The court will request a status report from the Punjab government on whether the September 26 incident actually occurred. LPU’s disciplinary committee will examine student involvement, and police continue to review CCTV footage to identify participants in the violence.