CM Mann Orders Strict Action as Students Raise Safety Concerns Over Outsiders

Phagwara/Chandigarh: Tension at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara continued to draw attention on Monday after violent student protests over unverified reports of a sexual assault on campus led to vandalism, arson and disruption of traffic on the Jalandhar-Phagwara highway.

With regular classes suspended for 10 days and mid-term examinations postponed, several students began leaving the university campus on Monday. At the same time, concerns about campus security remained high, with some students saying they were particularly worried about outsiders entering the university during the unrest.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has taken note of the violence and directed the state police leadership to take action against those found responsible. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav has been asked to visit the campus, assess the situation and ensure that necessary measures are taken to maintain law and order.

A government spokesperson said the Chief Minister had made it clear that nobody would be permitted to take the law into their own hands. The police, the government said, would examine the facts and proceed according to the law.

Police say force was deliberately avoided

DGP Gaurav Yadav said police had consciously decided not to use force against protesting students during the unrest. He said the grievances raised by the students needed to be examined and that legal action would be taken against anyone found responsible for violence or vandalism.

Yadav also indicated that the investigation would not be limited to students alone. If officials or senior members of the university administration are found to have violated the law or neglected their responsibilities, action would be taken according to the evidence.

Meanwhile, more than 2,000 police personnel have reportedly been deployed around the university to maintain security. Police have also conducted a flag march, while authorities have said that the situation has been brought under control.

How the LPU protests began

The unrest began after reports circulated on social media alleging that a female student had been sexually assaulted by an outsider on the university campus. The claims spread rapidly among students, eventually triggering protests that escalated into violence.

The university rejected the allegations, describing them as baseless and fabricated. However, police subsequently registered a rape case against an unidentified person and constituted a Special Investigation Team to examine the allegations and establish what actually happened.

Police officials said the preliminary inquiry had not established the alleged assault at that stage. The investigation is continuing, with authorities examining available evidence, including digital material and other information connected with the claims.

The situation became increasingly tense as large numbers of students gathered inside the campus. Property was damaged, some objects were set on fire and the national highway outside the university was blocked during the protests.

Students demand safety and accountability

The protesters have maintained that their primary concern is student safety and that the allegations surrounding the reported assault must be properly investigated.

Among the demands raised by students are stronger security arrangements in girls’ hostels, restrictions on the presence of male staff in residential areas for female students, greater accountability of hostel officials and action against university authorities if any negligence is established.

Students have also demanded that those who participated in peaceful protests should not face action simply for raising their concerns.

The protests, however, also resulted in serious disruption and damage, prompting authorities to focus on identifying those responsible for vandalism, arson and other acts of violence.

Questions over videos circulating online

The controversy has also been complicated by videos circulated on social media.

Three students who appeared in a video used by the university to counter the sexual-assault allegations later claimed that the video had been trimmed and that they had been instructed about what to say. Their claims have added another layer to an already complicated situation and are also being examined amid the broader investigation.

The developments highlight how quickly unverified information can spread on social media, particularly when students are already anxious about their safety. Authorities are now trying to establish which claims are supported by evidence and which may have originated from rumours or incomplete information.

Students begin leaving the campus

Following the university’s decision to suspend classes for 10 days from September 28, students began making arrangements to leave Phagwara and return to their homes.

LPU has said students who do not wish to leave can remain in their hostels, while those travelling home have been advised to coordinate with their parents or guardians. Students staying on campus have also been advised to avoid unnecessary movement and remain away from any further unrest.

Some students said they were uncomfortable remaining on campus after the violence.

One student from the Northeast said she was waiting for a family member to arrive and take her home. She said her concern was not about the protesting students themselves but about outsiders who might enter the campus and take advantage of the disorder.

Similar concerns were voiced by other students leaving the university, with some saying that the presence of people from outside during Sunday’s unrest had increased their anxiety.

Security tightened across the university

The university administration has also expressed concern about outsiders entering the campus during the protests. Security arrangements have consequently been strengthened, with a large police presence deployed in and around the university.

According to the reports, an outsider was detained after allegedly being found carrying a walkie-talkie and a weapon, although further details about the individual were not immediately available.

Police have also been monitoring movement around the campus and the highway to prevent another escalation.

The Jalandhar-Phagwara stretch of the national highway, which had been blocked during the protests, was subsequently reopened after remaining disrupted for several hours. Police later said the situation was under control and traffic movement had resumed.

Investigation now central to the situation

The immediate focus is now on determining what actually happened and separating verified information from claims that spread through social media.

The police investigation into the sexual-assault allegation is continuing, while authorities are also examining the circumstances that led to the protests becoming violent.

For students and their families, however, the issue extends beyond the specific allegation. The unrest has raised broader questions about campus security, access control, the handling of sensitive complaints and how universities should respond when rumours spread rapidly among a large student population.

LPU is one of India’s large private universities, with students from across the country and abroad. The scale of the campus and its student population makes maintaining security during a major protest a significant challenge.

For now, the university remains under heightened security, classes are suspended for 10 days, examinations have been postponed and the police investigation is underway. The authorities have said that anyone found responsible for violence will face action according to law, while the allegations that triggered the protests will be examined through the formal investigation process.

News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.