LPU protest over unverified rape claim blocks Punjab highway

A crowd of about 2,000 students gathered near the girls hostel at LPU in Phagwara after unverified rumours of a rape circulated online, quickly turning tense and leading to property damage and a highway blockade⁴. The unrest began with whispered posts and screenshots that spread through social feeds and messaging apps, prompting student groups to assemble on campus as word spread that police and university officials were weighing the credibility of the claims; some buildings were damaged and parts of the campus were set on fire as police were deployed to maintain order, an FIR was being registered and a SIT was expected to probe the case^3,6,12.

LPU administrators publicly denied the allegations, calling them false and urging people to rely on official communications, while police stressed there was no verified crime and sought to calm the situation^15,29.

The disruption extended to the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway, with traffic held up for hours before authorities managed to restore flow and resume normal movement^37,38.

Officials indicated the investigation would examine digital evidence and CCTV footage, and the incident spurred calls for campus safety measures and a transparent inquiry into the rumours that sparked the unrest, including concerns about the speed and manner in which information spread online and how official channels communicated updates to students and residents^9,18.