Unverified Social Media Claims Spark Protest and Highway Blockade at LPU Campus

In the early hours of Sunday, a large group of students at Lovely Professional University in Phagwara, Punjab, gathered near the campus after reports of an alleged rape of a female student from the G3 hostel began circulating on social media. The claims suggested the incident had taken place about three days earlier and that no action had followed. Police received information around 1:45 am that students had assembled and blocked a road. The gathering soon moved outside the university gates. Protesters blocked the busy Jalandhar-Phagwara stretch of the national highway, disrupting traffic for several hours. Videos shared online showed damaged window panes, flower pots and other campus items, with some objects set on fire. DIG Jalandhar Range Naveen Singla reached the spot and spoke to student leaders. He said the primary demand centred on the alleged incident involving a G3 hostel resident. Police recorded the students’ statements and began the process of registering an FIR against an unknown person. The investigation will include forensic examination, CCTV footage and phone data analysis. A special investigation team is being formed to handle the probe. Singla also noted that students raised other concerns related to hostel facilities. One of the points they brought up was the need for more female staff in the girls’ hostels. A meeting between student representatives and LPU management was fixed for noon so these issues could be discussed directly. Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora told reporters that police had no prior information of any such crime when they arrived. He described the circulating claims as rumours that led students to gather. “When we reached here, we came to know that there were rumours. Because of the rumours, students gathered here,” he said. The situation was brought under control after police spoke with the students and assessed the damage to university property. Legal action will follow the assessment, according to the SSP. Lovely Professional University issued a statement rejecting the reports. The university said there is no truth in the rumours being circulated and urged students, parents and the public not to amplify unverified information. It described the claims as false, baseless and fabricated, and asked everyone to rely only on official university channels. Many students at LPU come from different parts of the country and live in hostels far from their families. Incidents like this, even when based on unverified reports, quickly create worry among parents and unsettled feelings among those staying on campus. Hostel security and how the administration handles complaints are topics that come up often in student conversations. Police have said the probe will be thorough and that they will keep talking with student representatives. The university has asked everyone to stay calm and help maintain a peaceful environment. With the FIR process underway and the meeting between students and management scheduled, the coming days will show whether practical steps on safety and communication follow.