&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "LPU students go on rampage, vandalise campus amid widespread protest: What's happening")
Massive unrest was reported from Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab’s Phagwara on Sunday after a social media message alleged rape of a female student. The unrest began around 2 a.m. (late on Saturday night) near the girls' hostel. As protest intensified, protesting students went on a rampage, smashing window panes, pelting bricks and flower pots, and setting parts of buildings inside the campus on fire. Several videos on social media show angry students going on a rampage with one video even showing that university gate vandalised. The students went on to block the National Highway between Phagwara and Jalandhar. As the situation turned tense, heavy security was deployed by the Kapurthala Police. The protesting students also blocked the Chandigarh–Amritsar National Highway, disrupting traffic in the area.
What exactly triggered the protest and unrest?
Late Saturday night (September 26, 2026), messages began spreading rapidly across social media platforms claiming that a female student had been sexually assaulted on campus by an outsider. Another viral claim on Reddit alleges that an electrician groped a student in GH3 hostel. Another social media post claimed that the administration is trying to protect the employee and hence, it spread news of rape by an outsider. Any of these claims have not been verified yet. There has been no statement from the LPU administration.
What police said?
Kapurthala Superintendent of Police Gaurav Toora reached the spot as the situation rapidly turned violent. He said the rape allegation has not been confirmed so far and that an investigation is underway to establish the facts. Authorities are also looking into the circumstances surrounding the social media message that triggered the protests. The situation at the university was being monitored by police as further details emerged. Toora also said, "A viral message about an unverified incident of rape of a student has led to unrest among students against the LPU administration. So far, we have found no substantiating evidence to corroborate the incident, and no complaint has been received by us. The students have caused heavy damage to university property. They have currently laid siege to the NH. I am at the spot. We are trying to talk to the students and pacify them. The situation has started to come under control. We expect things to get settled in some time."
