Rape 'rumours', protests, student suicide and loot: What happened at LPU?
Violent protests erupted at Lovely Professional University in Punjab following rumors of a rape on campus and the suicide of a student. Authorities have denied the rape allegations and launched an investigation into the unrest and the student's death.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the volatile intersection of social media misinformation, student safety concerns, and campus security in India.
PHAGWARA: Violent protests at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab’s Phagwara erupted after social media reports and student claims about the alleged rape of a female student on campus, coupled with questions over the suicide of another student from Telangana.The allegations have not been established. Police have registered an FIR against unknown persons and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the matter, while LPU has denied that a rape took place on campus and termed the reports “false”, “baseless” and “fabricated”.The protests, which began near a girls’ hostel early Sunday, escalated into vandalism, arson, clashes with police and a blockade of NH-44 connecting Jalandhar and Phagwara.What triggered the LPU protest?The immediate trigger was a series of claims circulating among students and on social media that a female student staying in Girls’ Hostel-3 had allegedly been raped by a plumber three days earlier.Students also alleged that the hostel warden…
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