'Rumour-Rage': Punjab's Lovely Professional University On Campus Violence

A day after violent protests rocked the Lovely Professional University (LPU) campus in Punjab's Kapurthala district, the university administration said investigations by the university, civil authorities and police had found no evidence to support allegations of a sexual assault that circulated on social media and triggered unrest on campus. 

Speaking to NDTV's Padmaja Joshi, LPU Dean Dr Sorabh Lakhanpal described the allegation as a "rumour rage" that spread among students through a Reddit post and later spiralled into violence, claiming that masked outsiders were primarily responsible for vandalism inside and outside the campus.

The violence led to the blockage of National Highway-44 for more than 15 hours and extensive damage to university property. While the situation remained peaceful a day later, classes were suspended for 10 days and many students began returning home even as Punjab Police warned of action against those involved in vandalism.

Responding to questions about the alleged sexual assault that reportedly fuelled the protests, Dr Lakhanpal said investigations conducted so far had not uncovered any evidence supporting the claim.

#TheBuckStopsHere with @PadmajaJoshi | Who were the masked men seen in videos emerging out of LPU? LPU Dean presents the university's official version of events, blaming outsiders for the mayhem and calling the entire episode a result of 'rumour-rage'.

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"All this incident which has been reported in the last 48 hours, during investigation, has turned out to be a rumour rage. Students received a message on Reddit claiming that a girl had been raped, and the rumour spread rapidly. We, the university authorities, civil administration and police have all been investigating the matter," he said.

Read: Akali Dal, BJP, Congress Target Bhagwant Mann Over Violence At Punjab's LPU

According to the dean, authorities repeatedly asked students to provide specific details, including the identity of the alleged victim, the location of the incident or any formal written complaint.

"We kept asking students that if they had any name, place or location related to the alleged incident, they should share it with us or provide a written complaint. But no student was able to provide any such information. It was later confirmed that it was only a rumour," he said.

‘Protest Began Peacefully, But Later Turned Violent'

Dr Lakhanpal said the initial student gathering on campus late at night was peaceful and centred around dialogue with the university administration.

"The situation started around 11 pm to 11:30 pm on campus. We received information at a very early stage, and I was on campus by midnight. At that time, students were protesting peacefully and wanted to have a dialogue with the university authorities. We were there to speak with them," he said.

Photo Credit: PTI

According to him, the situation deteriorated when a group of masked individuals entered the campus and allegedly began damaging university property.

"Suddenly, from the main gate, what we believe were anti-social elements or outsiders entered. They had masks on their faces and rods in their hands, and they started damaging university property," he said.

Read: Students Deny 'Rape' In Video Released By Punjab's Lovely Professional University, Then Call It Scripted

The dean praised students for initially trying to stop the violence.

"I must appreciate the student community at that time. They stood with us and tried to stop them. Students told them that this was their own matter and that they wanted to resolve it through dialogue while the allegations were still under investigation. But these anti-social elements did not listen to anyone, not even the students. They went on a rampage and vandalised the university," he said.

He added that the situation was eventually brought under control after police intervention.

"Later, the situation was brought under control. The police administration stepped in, restored discipline and things gradually started settling down by the next morning," he said.

'University Cooperated With Students'

The dean said the administration engaged with protesters and fulfilled several demands aimed at verifying the sexual assault allegations.

He said students initially demanded that an FIR be registered, after which the police took appropriate action. Students also sought access to CCTV footage and specific hostel areas that they believed could be connected to the allegation.

"After that, they discussed certain things with us. They wanted to see CCTV footage from the previous few days. We cooperated fully. We formed a committee of five male and five female students and showed them the CCTV footage. They also wanted to inspect a hostel room that they suspected could be connected to the incident. We took them there as well," he said.

"We kept assuring them that we were with them throughout the investigation and that we would do our best," he added.

Police Identifying Masked Individuals

Asked about the identity of the masked men seen in CCTV footage carrying rods and sticks, Dr Lakhanpal said police had already detained some individuals and were working to establish their identities.

"The police have apprehended certain people and have identified some of them. These details will come out in due course. There will definitely be a thorough investigation and identification of all those involved," he said.

However, he said no such person had yet been identified as belonging to the university.

"Presently, we have not identified any of them as being from our university. We are in regular contact with the police. They say they have identified some of these anti-social elements and will release their findings soon," he said.

'Students Present At Highway Protest, But Outsiders Led It'

The protests later spilled onto National Highway-44, resulting in a police lathi-charge. While acknowledging that some students were present during the highway blockade, the dean maintained that they had not intended to block the road.

"Yes, there were certain students who became involved along with them. But they were saying that they had no intention of blocking the national highway and were there only for dialogue," he said.

Photo Credit: PTI

When asked who was responsible for the blockade, Dr Lakhanpal suggested that anti-social elements from outside the university played a major role.

"I am sure that these anti-social elements came from three or four different backgrounds. They may have been from the local ecosystem, and there could have been other influences as well. It is too early to say anything definitively, but we have certainly identified that they were not our students," he said.

'No Clear Evidence Of Political Involvement'

Responding to allegations from some political parties that the unrest may have had a political angle because LPU founder and Chancellor Ashok Kumar Mittal is a BJP MP, Dr Lakhanpal said he had not personally observed any political involvement.

"At the ground level, nothing of that sort was observed," he said.

Dean Backs Police Response

On whether the police responded in time, the dean defended the administration's handling of the crisis.

"In terms of intervention, I would say they were right on time and were doing their best," he said.

However, he suggested there was room for improvement in anticipating a second wave of violence.

"If I say the situation could have been handled better, then yes. There are aspects related to intelligence gathering that perhaps could have indicated that there would be fresh vandalism on the second day. That part might have been improved," he said.

Meanwhile, a day after the clashes, normalcy largely returned to the campus. Traffic movement on NH-44 was restored after the blockade was cleared, while many students left for their homes following the university's decision to suspend classes for 10 days. 

Punjab Police has also warned of strict action against those responsible for violence and vandalism during the protests.