Patna, September 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Amid escalating unrest at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab’s Phagwara, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Monday spoke to the university’s founder and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal over concerns regarding the safety and interests of students from Bihar.
Choudhary said he had discussed the situation with Mittal, who assured him of full cooperation and necessary steps to safeguard students from Bihar.
The Chief Minister added that the university management had been asked to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of students and protect their interests.
The unrest at LPU began after claims circulated among students and on social media that a female student had allegedly been sexually assaulted on the university campus. Students also linked the allegations to the death of another student. However, the allegations have not been established.
Police have registered an FIR against an unidentified person and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the matter. Investigators are examining evidence, including CCTV footage, forensic material and phone data.
Meanwhile, LPU has denied that the alleged sexual assault took place on campus, describing the claims as “false, baseless and fabricated rumours”.
As the protest intensified, a large number of students gathered on the campus. Reports said university property was damaged and some objects were set on fire, while protesters also blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara stretch of National Highway 44 (NH-44).
The protest later escalated into clashes between students and police. Officials said protesters pelted stones and targeted police vehicles, prompting police to take action to disperse the crowd.
Several police personnel were reportedly injured, while multiple vehicles were damaged. Traffic on NH-44 was subsequently restored after remaining disrupted for more than 15 hours.
Police said the situation was under control, with a large force deployed at the university and in surrounding areas.
Following the unrest, LPU suspended regular classes for 10 days, beginning September 28. Mid-term examinations have also been postponed until further notice.
Students have been allowed to return home after consulting their parents or guardians. Those remaining on campus have been advised to stay inside their hostels or residences and avoid unnecessary movement.
The university has also maintained heightened security on campus as students continue to leave for their homes.
Internet services in the area have reportedly been suspended amid efforts by authorities to prevent the spread of rumours and unverified information.
Several videos related to the unrest have circulated on social media, purportedly showing vandalism and other incidents on the campus. However, the authenticity and context of individual videos could not be independently established.
The police investigation into the sexual assault allegation is continuing, while authorities are separately examining the violence, property damage and other incidents that occurred during the protests.
FOLLOW NOW
