The LPU Student Protest 2026 in Phagwara, Punjab, escalated into violent clashes between students and police on September 27 after allegations circulated on social media that a female student had been sexually assaulted on the Lovely Professional University campus. Following the unrest, the university suspended regular classes for 10 days from September 28 and postponed mid-term examinations until further notice. Police have registered a rape case against an unidentified person and formed a Special Investigation Team to investigate the allegation.
The LPU Student Protest 2026 began in the early hours of Sunday near Girls’ Hostel 3. Students alleged that a female student had been raped several days earlier by an outsider working on the campus. Some students also claimed that the matter had been reported to hostel authorities but that appropriate action was not taken. These claims circulated through student groups and social media before the protest grew in size.
The allegation has not been established. Lovely Professional University has repeatedly denied that a rape occurred and described the claims circulating online as false, baseless and fabricated. University officials have urged students and the public not to circulate unverified information while the police investigation continues.
Despite the university’s denial, the LPU Student Protest 2026 continued through Sunday as students gathered near the campus entrance and demanded an investigation. The protesters also raised concerns about security in women’s hostels, accountability of hostel officials and the handling of complaints. Some students demanded action against university officials if negligence was established.
The situation worsened when students blocked a section of the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway, or NH-44, outside the university. The blockade caused significant traffic disruption and continued for several hours. Police subsequently moved to clear the highway as tensions increased.
During the LPU Student Protest 2026, clashes broke out between students and police. Officials said protesters threw stones and water bottles at police personnel and targeted police vehicles. Police responded with a lathi-charge as they attempted to disperse the protesters and restore movement on the highway. Several police personnel were reported injured during the confrontation.
The unrest subsequently spread into parts of the university campus. Reports said vehicles were damaged and some were set on fire, while windows and other campus property were vandalised. Police vehicles were also damaged, with reports stating that two police vehicles were set on fire. Additional police forces were brought in from nearby districts to bring the situation under control.
The LPU Student Protest 2026 also resulted in damage to shops and other facilities inside the university’s commercial area. Some protesters climbed onto decommissioned military equipment displayed on the campus, including a MiG-23UM aircraft and a tank. The incidents reflected the extent to which the initially peaceful demonstration had escalated by Sunday evening.
The police subsequently registered an FIR against an unidentified person based on a complaint concerning the alleged sexual assault. The FIR does not establish that the allegation is true or that any particular person is responsible. Investigators are examining the claim through forensic evidence, CCTV footage and phone records. A Special Investigation Team has also been formed to conduct the investigation.
The SIT investigating the LPU Student Protest 2026 case includes senior police officers, a woman police officer and representatives of the student community. Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla said the investigation would examine the available scientific and digital evidence. The inclusion of student representatives is intended to provide a channel for students to participate in the investigative process.
Lovely Professional University has maintained that it is cooperating with the police investigation. Vice-Chancellor Jaspal Singh Sandhu said the university would provide CCTV footage and other information requested by investigators. He also said that the alleged incident had not come to his notice and that the university would cooperate with the SIT.
The university’s registrar, Monica Gulati, rejected the allegations circulating on social media and said the claims were damaging the institution’s reputation. The university also released a video statement involving three female students from the hostel room identified in the allegations. According to the university, the students said no such incident had occurred in the room. The police investigation is continuing independently of the university’s position.
The LPU Student Protest 2026 also involved demands that went beyond the alleged assault itself. Protesters sought stronger security arrangements in women’s hostels, greater accountability for hostel officials and restrictions on the deployment of male staff in areas where female students reside. Some students also demanded the resignation of the hostel warden and assurances that students would not face action merely for participating in the protest.
Students also reportedly demanded that LPU Founder-Chancellor Ashok Mittal visit the protest site and address their concerns. Other demands included an apology from the Pro-Vice Chancellor, justice for the alleged victim and restoration of access to the University’s Management System for students. These demands reflected wider concerns among protesters about campus administration and student safety.
The university responded to the escalation by suspending regular classes for 10 days beginning September 28. Mid-term examinations were also postponed until further notice. In its communication to students, LPU said the decision was taken in view of the security situation and advised students who remained on campus to stay inside their hostels or residences and avoid unnecessary movement.
The LPU Student Protest 2026 has also led to a significant movement of students away from the campus. With classes suspended, students were allowed to consult their parents or guardians and travel to their hometowns if they wished. Heavy police deployment was maintained at the university’s gates as students began leaving the campus.
Mobile internet services were also suspended on the LPU campus and surrounding areas following the violence, according to reports. The measure came as authorities attempted to prevent further escalation and manage the situation following the circulation of conflicting information online.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directed Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav to visit the university and assess the situation. The Chief Minister’s Office said strict action would be taken against those responsible for the violence. Police officials said the situation had remained peaceful after Sunday night, although security forces continued to maintain a strong presence around the campus.
The LPU Student Protest 2026 is being investigated against a backdrop of conflicting accounts about what happened inside the university. Students have alleged that a sexual assault occurred and that the administration failed to respond adequately, while the university has denied that any rape occurred. Police have registered an FIR based on the complaint but are still examining the evidence. These positions need to be kept separate from established facts while the investigation remains ongoing.
Police are also examining another incident involving a female LPU student from Telangana who reportedly died by suicide around two weeks before the protests. According to police, the student’s mobile phone was seized and sent for forensic examination. Officials said any evidence of foul play found during that investigation would lead to appropriate legal action. The police have not established a connection between that death and the current rape allegation.
The LPU Student Protest 2026 has attracted attention beyond the university because of the rapid escalation from social-media allegations to a large campus protest, highway blockade and clashes with police. The incident has also highlighted the challenges authorities face when serious allegations spread online before investigators can establish the underlying facts.
The role of social media has become a central part of the controversy. Reports indicate that claims about the alleged assault and, separately, an alleged student suicide circulated widely through student groups and online platforms. Police and university officials have urged people not to circulate unverified information while investigators examine the claims.
The LPU Student Protest 2026 also comes shortly after unrest at another Punjab university. Chitkara University in Patiala reportedly witnessed a separate student protest linked to unverified claims concerning sounds allegedly heard from a hostel. Police and authorities are examining that incident separately, and there is no established connection between the two cases.
Lovely Professional University has more than 35,000 students from India and abroad, making the disruption significant for a large student population. With regular classes suspended and mid-term examinations postponed, the university is now focusing on campus security and cooperation with the ongoing investigation.
For the LPU Student Protest 2026, the immediate focus is now on the police investigation into the alleged rape and on restoring normal conditions on campus. Investigators are expected to examine CCTV recordings, forensic material, phone data and statements from students and other relevant individuals. The FIR and SIT investigation are procedural steps and do not by themselves establish guilt.
The university’s 10-day suspension means regular academic activities will remain disrupted while authorities assess the situation. The date for postponed mid-term examinations has not been announced in the reports currently available. Students remaining on campus have been advised to follow security instructions and avoid participation in further unrest.
The LPU Student Protest 2026 therefore remains a developing situation involving three separate but connected issues: an allegation of sexual assault that police are investigating, violent campus unrest that resulted in property damage and injuries, and wider student demands concerning hostel safety and university accountability. The university disputes the central allegation, while police continue to investigate it following registration of an FIR.
As the investigation progresses, the evidence gathered by the SIT, including forensic findings, CCTV footage, phone records and witness statements, will be important in determining what occurred. Until those findings are established, claims circulating on social media and competing statements from protesters and university officials should be treated as allegations rather than confirmed facts.
