PHAGWARA: The situation at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara has returned to relative calm after a day of intense student protests, clashes with police, vandalism and a prolonged blockade of National Highway-44, with Punjab Police maintaining a heavy security presence around the campus.
The immediate priority has now shifted from crowd control to maintaining peace, protecting students and completing a transparent investigation into the allegations that triggered the unrest. Police officials said on Monday that there was no fresh protest and that the situation had remained peaceful since the previous night. NH-44, which had remained blocked for more than 15 hours during the agitation, has also been reopened for traffic.
LPU has taken a major precautionary step by suspending regular classes for 10 days from September 28. The university has also postponed its mid-term examinations until further notice. A revised examination schedule will be communicated separately through the University Management System.
Students have been permitted to return to their hometowns after consulting their parents or guardians. Those who remain on campus have been advised to stay inside their hostels or places of residence, avoid unnecessary movement and keep away from any activity connected with the unrest. The university said the decision to suspend classes was taken primarily to ensure the safety and well-being of students.
The unrest began after claims circulated among students and on social media alleging that a female student had been sexually assaulted on the university campus by an outsider. The allegation triggered a large student mobilisation, with protesters demanding justice, greater security for women students and accountability from the university administration.
However, the allegation itself remains under investigation and has not been established. Police registered a case against an unidentified person and constituted a Special Investigation Team to investigate the matter. According to police officials cited by The Indian Express, preliminary inquiries at the location identified by protesters did not substantiate the allegation. The three female students present in the hostel room where the incident was alleged to have occurred reportedly denied that such an incident had taken place.
The SIT has been tasked with examining the matter in greater detail rather than relying on competing claims circulating among students and on social media. The investigation is expected to consider available evidence and establish what actually happened.
LPU, meanwhile, has categorically rejected the allegation, describing it as false, baseless and fabricated. University officials have appealed to students, parents and the public not to circulate unverified information. The university has also said that it will cooperate with the police investigation and provide CCTV footage and other material required by investigators.
What transformed the initial protest into a serious law-and-order situation was the escalation on Sunday. Students blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara stretch of NH-44, disrupting traffic on one of Punjab’s major road corridors. Within the campus, property was damaged, shops were vandalised and some vehicles and other objects were set on fire. Protesters also allegedly targeted police vehicles and pelted stones at police personnel.
The confrontation intensified when police attempted to clear the highway and restore traffic movement. Officials said protesters attacked police personnel and vehicles, resulting in injuries to several policemen. Police subsequently used a lathi charge as part of efforts to control the situation. Four to five police vehicles were reported damaged during the violence.
The state administration responded by deploying a substantial police force around the university. Senior officers, including ADGP M.F. Farooqui, Jalandhar Police Commissioner Satinder Singh, DIG Jalandhar Range Naveen Singla and Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora, were involved in efforts to restore order. Police personnel were deployed at the university gates and a flag march was conducted after the violence.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has ordered strict action against those responsible for the violence and directed DGP Gaurav Yadav to visit the spot and assess the situation. The government’s position is that while every genuine complaint must be investigated fairly, no individual or group can be permitted to take the law into its own hands.
The government’s response now faces two parallel responsibilities: ensuring that the investigation into the original allegation is credible and impartial, and identifying those responsible for vandalism, arson, attacks on police personnel and disruption of a national highway.
The LPU episode has also raised broader questions about campus security, communication between university authorities and students, the handling of complaints involving women students and the speed with which information spreads through social media during a tense situation.
Student concerns about safety cannot simply be dismissed, particularly when a large residential university campus is involved. At the same time, unverified allegations cannot be treated as established facts, and violence cannot become a substitute for investigation. The responsibility of determining whether a crime occurred rests with the investigating agencies on the basis of evidence.
Police are also examining a separate case involving the death of a woman student from Telangana, who reportedly died by suicide around 15 days before the latest unrest. Police have seized her mobile phone and sent it for forensic examination. Officials have said that if the investigation reveals evidence of foul play, appropriate legal action will follow.
For Punjab, the immediate picture is therefore one of de-escalation rather than continuing confrontation. The highway is open, the campus is heavily guarded, students are being allowed to return home, classes have been suspended for 10 days and examinations have been postponed.
The next critical phase will be the investigation. The police SIT will have to establish the facts behind the original allegation, while separate legal proceedings may follow against those found responsible for violence, property damage, arson or attacks on police personnel. For the university administration, restoring confidence among students and parents will be equally important once normal academic activity resumes.
The LPU crisis has demonstrated how quickly an unverified allegation can develop into a major law-and-order challenge. With the situation currently under control, the emphasis now has to remain on evidence, due process, student safety and accountability rather than speculation.
