Campus Quiet After Storm: LPU Halts Classes Following Weekend Protests

Students at Lovely Professional University in Phagwara returned to an uneasy calm on Monday as the campus recovered from a weekend of intense unrest. The university has suspended regular classes for 10 days starting 28 September and postponed its mid-term examinations until further notice. Many students packed their bags and left for home after consulting their families. The trouble began late on the night of 26 September near Girls’ Hostel-3. Unverified claims circulated among students and on social media that a female student had been sexually assaulted by an outsider on campus a few days earlier. Some versions also mentioned a suicide. Crowds gathered quickly. By early Sunday the protest had spilled onto the Jalandhar-Phagwara stretch of National Highway-44, blocking traffic for several hours. What started as demands for answers turned destructive. University property was damaged, shops inside the campus were targeted, and objects were set on fire. Clashes with police left several personnel injured and damaged official vehicles. Heavy forces were deployed, including more than 2,000 personnel at the peak, and the situation was brought under control by Monday morning. Internet services in the area were suspended to curb the spread of unverified information. LPU has firmly denied the core allegation. Registrar Monica Gulati described the reports as false, baseless and fabricated, blaming anti-social elements for creating confusion. The university released a video in which three female students living in the room named in the claims stated that no such incident had taken place there and that they had been residing in the room for about two months. Police registered an FIR against an unidentified person on the basis of a complaint from students and formed a Special Investigation Team that includes student representatives. Officers have said preliminary checks of the hostels, including the specific room mentioned, found no evidence to support the assault claim. Jalandhar Police Commissioner Satinder Singh stated that reports of disturbances inside the hostels were rumours and that all hostels had been checked with no issues found. The investigation continues, with CCTV footage and other material under examination. The identity of any alleged victim has not been established so far. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directed strict action against those responsible for the violence. The Director General of Police visited the campus and made it clear that those who took the law into their own hands would face consequences. Some students and officials have pointed to the possible role of outsiders in escalating the vandalism. For the thousands of students who study and live on the large LPU campus, the immediate impact is clear. Academic schedules have been disrupted, mid-term exams are on hold, and many have chosen to go home for now. Parents across the country have been following the news closely, seeking reassurance about safety. The university has advised students who remain on campus to stay inside their hostels or residences and avoid any further involvement in unrest. University officials have said they are cooperating fully with the police probe and remain focused on restoring a peaceful academic environment. With heavy security still in place and classes paused, the coming days will test how quickly normal campus life can resume. Students and families will be watching both the investigation’s progress and the university’s steps to rebuild confidence in hostel and campus security.