LPU suspends classes for 10 days amid campus unrest, midterms postponed

Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab's Phagwara has suspended regular classes for 10 days from Monday, September 28, following violent protests on campus over allegations that a female student was raped by an outsider.

The university has also postponed its mid-term examinations until further notice. A revised examination schedule will be communicated to students through the University Management System (UMS), LPU said in a statement.

The university advised students to remain calm and follow official instructions. Students have also been allowed to travel to their hometowns during the 10-day period in consultation with their parents or guardians.

Those who choose to remain on campus have been advised to stay inside their hostels or places of residence, avoid unnecessary movement and stay away from any unrest-related activities.

In its notice to students, LPU said the decision to suspend regular classes had been taken "to ensure the safety and well-being of all students".

The university said mid-term examinations would remain postponed until further notice. Students have been asked to stay connected through the UMS for further updates.

The decision came after a day of protests and clashes on the campus and a blockade of National Highway-44 by students.

The protests began near Girls' Hostel-3 around 1 am on Sunday after students alleged that a female student had been raped by a plumber three days earlier. The protesters also alleged that the hostel warden had been informed but no action was taken.

The allegations triggered a large protest, with students blocking NH-44 outside the university from around 8 am. Traffic was severely affected as the blockade continued through the day.

The situation escalated in the evening when police attempted to clear the road. Officials said protesters threw water bottles at police personnel, following which police resorted to a mild lathi charge.

The protesters then moved towards the campus and allegedly pelted stones at police vehicles. Two police vehicles were set on fire and four to five police vehicles were damaged, according to police. Several police personnel were also injured.

A heavy police contingent from Kapurthala, Jalandhar Rural and Hoshiarpur was deployed, with a team led by ADGP M F Farooqui later entering the campus.

Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla said the situation had been brought under control and that traffic movement on NH-44 would be restored.FIR REGISTERED, SIT FORMED

Police said an FIR had been registered against an unknown person based on the complaint related to the alleged rape. A special investigation team (SIT) has also been formed to investigate the allegations.

Singla said investigators would examine forensic evidence, CCTV footage and call records before reaching a conclusion.

The DIG said students had claimed that the alleged victim, who was staying in Hostel No. 3, had returned home after they believed no action had been taken.

Students also demanded that the hostel staff should comprise only women. Police said the university management would address the demand.

Singla also said a female student from Telangana studying at LPU had died by suicide around 15 days earlier. He said action would be taken if the students' allegations of foul play were established.LPU DENIES RAPE ALLEGATION

LPU has denied that a rape took place on its campus, describing the allegations as rumours.

Registrar Monica Gulati said "false, baseless and fabricated" allegations were being circulated by anti-social elements to disturb the university's academic environment.

The university also released a video statement featuring three female students from Room No. 504 of the hostel. They said they had been staying there for around two months and claimed that no rape incident had taken place.

LPU said it would cooperate with the police investigation and urged students, parents and members of the public not to circulate unverified information.

The university alleged that some elements were making a "deliberate" and "concerted" attempt to damage its reputation.VANDALISM AND HIGHWAY BLOCKADE

The protests also saw vandalism and damage to property on the university campus. Videos circulating on social media purportedly showed students damaging window panes and flower pots, while some objects were set on fire.

Other videos showed damaged vehicles, a vandalised ATM kiosk and alleged damage at shops in the university mall. Some protesters were also seen climbing onto a decommissioned MiG-23UM aircraft and a military tank installed on the campus.

The NH-44 blockade caused long traffic queues, with traffic diverted through the Phagwara-Jandiala road and other arterial routes.

Several rounds of talks between students and the university management failed to resolve the standoff. LPU Vice Chancellor Jaspal Singh Sandhu assured students that genuine grievances would be addressed.

The protesters, however, demanded that LPU Founder-Chancellor Ashok Mittal, who is also a BJP Rajya Sabha MP, meet them and give assurances on their demands. They also sought protection from action over their participation in the protest and demanded that access to the University Management System not be blocked.advertisementPOLITICAL REACTIONPunjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring criticised the AAP government over the law-and-order situation, saying students with concerns should receive transparent and time-bound answers.

He also criticised the prolonged blockade of NH-44 and questioned the absence of a representative of the state government at the protest site.

Meanwhile, the immediate focus, LPU said, is on maintaining student safety, with regular classes suspended for 10 days and mid-term examinations put on hold as the police investigation into the allegations continues.- Ends

Kamaljit Sandhu is an award winning journalist working as Deputy Editor in India Today. She has nearly two decades of experience as a full time TV journalist. She covers "conflict" regions, Internal security matters, MEA and Parliament. Her work has often led to crisscrossing the country. She has also traveled to Pakistan and Iran, in pursuit of news stories. In 2019, she received the ENBA Award for best news programming for her ground report on "surviving Bastar" which was based on the government's policy on inducting tribals in Crpf in chattisgarh to counter naxals.

Personal interests: Kamaljit likes travelling, interior decoration and playing scrabble, Has varied interests in sporting activities like swimming, badminton and Yoga.