Indian university rocked by violence over unsubstantiated rape charge
PHAGWARA, INDIA — Violent protests, a blockade of a highway and a temporary halt to classes at one of India’s largest private universities have followed an unverified allegation that a female student was raped at the Lovely Professional University in Punjab.
Police have booked an unidentified person and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to find out if there is any incident. As of September 29, investigators said they had found no evidence to support the alleged assault, and the university has denied the incident happened on its campus.
The allegation was circulated widely on student WhatsApp groups and social media before large crowds gathered on campus and later spilt onto the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway. The protests devolved into vandalism, with throwing stones and setting police vehicles on fire — some of them at least.
Authorities moved to restore order at LPU, suspending classes for 10 days and postponing mid-term examinations.
What sparked the protests?
The unrest broke out early on September 27 after messages started circulating among students claiming that a female student had been sexually assaulted in or near a girls’ hostel several days earlier.
Several accounts online described the alleged suspect as an outside worker, such as a plumber or another contractor. Details were scant, and the name of an alleged victim or suspect had not been released by police by the latest reports.
Students told reporters they were concerned about campus security and angered by what they see as a lack of response from university authorities.
The charges soon spread beyond individual student groups. Hundreds, some reports say thousands, of students gathered and blocked the national highway outside the university.
The demonstration later turned violent. Property was damaged, parts of the campus and shops were vandalised, police came under a shower of stones and vehicles were set alight. Police said that in the clashes, personnel were wounded.
The police have clarified that merely registering an FIR does not mean that the allegation has been proved.
Senior police officials said the case was registered after students demanded a formal investigation, even without a confirmed victim at that time. Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage and all available evidence.
The police said their preliminary review did not support the allegation. But the campus was large, and investigators did not initially look at all the relevant CCTV footage, they said.
“The investigation is thus ongoing.
An SIT has been formed to investigate the allegation and related evidence. Senior police officials and representatives associated with the student community are part of the team, reports said.
What does the university say about it?
LPU rejected the claims and said the allegations being spread on social media are false and baseless.
University officials advised students and parents to rely on information released through official channels, rather than unverified messages circulating on the internet.
The university’s position has not stopped the investigation. Police continue to independently investigate the allegation.
How did the matter escalate?
The reasons for the rapid escalation are part of the larger investigation.
Students voiced their concern not only over the alleged assault but also the campus security, hostel management and their issues. The spread of unconfirmed information through WhatsApp and other social media platforms seems to have increased students’ sense of uncertainty and fear.
Some pupils also said that people they did not know were involved in the violence. These claims have not been independently verified and should not be presented as fact without further evidence.
The police reaction has also entered into the row. Some video footage shared online appeared to show police officers beating protesters with canes. Police officials disputed some characterisations of the response. Any such claim of an official baton charge must therefore be very carefully attributed unless independently verified.
Students talk of a night of fear
Following the unrest, some students were scared and ready to leave campus.
Students were locking themselves in their rooms and preparing for the possibility of the situation worsening, one student interviewed by BBC Punjabi said.
The university later allowed students to leave, suspending classes and postponing exams.
The immediate situation had died down by September 29, but the police investigation into the original allegation and the violence was ongoing.
The bigger question still looms large. Did a student get raped in LPU as alleged, or did an unsubstantiated claim lead to a violent turn of events?
Police have yet to determine that the alleged rape occurred, they say. The university denied the allegations, and the FIR and SIT investigation are on. Until that process is done by investigators, the allegation should not be treated as established fact.”
