How an alleged rape sent an Indian university into turmoil and emptied hostels

Image source, Pardeep Sharma/BBC Image caption, Some violent protesters allegedly torched police cars parked on the highway on Sunday

One of India's largest private universities has suspended classes after an unverified allegation that a female student was raped on campus set off protests that descended into violence.

Police say they have registered a case and are trying to verify whether last week's alleged rape at Lovely Professional University (LPU) did happen. The university has categorically denied the allegation.

Police say no student has come forward to say she was assaulted, investigators have yet to identify the alleged victim or the perpetrator, and CCTV footage examined so far has yielded no evidence of an attack.

But rumours on student WhatsApp groups led to unrest over the weekend at the sprawling 600-acre university in Punjab that draws students from India and abroad.