Punjab Police arrested nine people, including seven students, for violent clashes at Lovely Professional University. The unrest, triggered by viral posts about an alleged sexual assault, led to vandalism, arson, and a temporary university shutdown.
The Punjab Police have arrested nine persons, including seven university students and a juvenile, in connection with the violent clashes, vandalism and arson that erupted on the Lovely Professional University (LPU) campus on September 27 following a viral message, senior officials said.
Addressing a press conference, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Naveen Singla, accompanied by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Toora and Special Investigation Team (SIT) in-charge Vaneet Ahlawat, provided details of the investigation and the arrests made so far.
The Trigger: Viral Posts Allege Assault
The controversy began after viral social media posts alleged a grave incident inside the girls’ hostel campus. The posts claimed an outsider had sexually assaulted a female student, leading to intense agitation among students, who gathered in large numbers to demand accountability, security overhauls and action from university authorities.
Police Response and Escalation
Refuting claims of police high-handedness, Singla clarified that personnel did not initiate any lathi-charge. He said the police had initially been coordinating with media and students to send an assuring message that the administration stood with them.
According to the senior officer, when police units arrived on campus, the damage was initially minimal. However, a section of the crowd suddenly turned violent, pelting stones at police and media personnel, vandalising property and setting multiple vehicles on fire. Police teams were then compelled to use minimal force to disperse the violent mob and restore order.
The unrest escalated into acts of vandalism, damage to campus infrastructure and clashes that spilt onto the New Delhi-Amritsar National Highway. To restore order and prevent further spread of misinformation, university authorities suspended physical classes for 10 days and postponed mid-term examinations, while the local administration temporarily cut internet access around the campus radius.
Investigation and Arrests
DIG Singla revealed that under the First Information Report (FIR), police tracked down and arrested suspects from Phagwara, Jammu and Mumbai. Police verification confirmed that seven of the accused were students of the university, while two were outsiders. Investigators have identified 20 individuals involved in the rioting and formally named them in the case.
SIT Probes Original Allegation
Addressing the allegations regarding the sexual assault of a student, which had triggered widespread outrage and protests across the campus, DIG Singla stated that a dedicated SIT has been formed and an impartial, thorough probe is underway to establish the facts. Authorities and law enforcement agencies are tracing the origin of the digital posts and investigating potential cross-border or political links behind the coordinated disruption. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)