Chandigarh, September 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday sought a detailed status report from the Punjab government on the violence, arson and vandalism at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, while asking authorities to clarify whether the alleged sexual assault that triggered the unrest had actually taken place.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor was hearing a public interest litigation filed by LPU student Ravi Raj, who has sought a CBI probe into the violence.
The court did not pass any order on the demand for a CBI investigation and fixed October 8 for the next hearing.
The Bench directed the state government to submit a report bearing the signatures of the Commissioner of Police, clearly stating whether the incident mentioned in a social media post dated September 26 had occurred.
The court also sought details of the action taken if the alleged incident was found to have occurred. In case the allegation was false, the state was asked to explain what steps had been taken to get the social media post removed and prevent its further circulation.
The case stems from violence that erupted at the university after an unverified social media post alleged that a female student had been raped on the campus and subsequently sent home.
The post triggered protests that later escalated into vandalism and arson, with property damaged and a stretch of the Jalandhar-Phagwara highway blocked during the unrest.
During the hearing, the Punjab government informed the court that the matter was under investigation. Its counsel said police were attempting to trace the source of the Reddit post and were investigating both the alleged sexual assault and the violence that followed.
The High Court also sought clarity on responsibility for the violence and details of action taken against those allegedly involved.
Punjab Police have registered three FIRs in connection with the unrest and constituted a Special Investigation Team to investigate allegations including arson, robbery and assault on police personnel.
Following the violence, the university suspended academic activities and security was strengthened on the campus.
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