Campus defaced, vehicles burnt, classes suspended: Punjab's LPU returns to uneasy calm day after violent protests

The protests escalated on Sunday evening when some protesters allegedly pelted police personnel with stones and attacked their vehicles, injuring several cops.

Lovely Professional University in Punjab's Phagwara returned to uneasy calm on Monday after a weekend of violent protests which left the varsity defaced. The campus and its surrounding area witnessed violence and arson as students staged a massive agitation over the alleged rape of a student by an outsider.

While the students blamed the outsiders for the vandalism on the LPU campus, police said they were analysing CCTV footage to identify the perpetrators. Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, who visited LPU on the directions of chief minister Bhagwant Mann, warned that those involved in vandalism would face strict action.

ALSO READ: Punjab Police secure LPU campus after violent protests over rape rumours

The protests escalated on Sunday evening when some protesters allegedly pelted police personnel with stones and attacked their vehicles, injuring several cops. Some objects were also set on fire, according to officials and purported videos of the incident.

Here are the latest developments from Lovely Professional University's Phagwara campus:

The LPU violence came a day after protests at Chitkara University, where students allegedly set a police vehicle on fire following claims about two female students dying by suicide on the campus.

Akanksha Verma is an Associate Editor at the Hindustan Times in New Delhi. With an experience of over a decade, she has led newsrooms operations and worked on digital content strategies. She is adept at covering breaking news situations and holds expertise in doing long-form explainers on national, political and geopolitical issues. Akanksha has previously worked with The Times Of India, Indian Express Online, News18.com, India Ahead and The Daily Jagran. She has written on key national and global events, including the Lok Sabha Elections, Assembly Elections, US Elections, US-Iran war, Operation Sindoor, Israel-Palestine conflict, Afghanistan conflict, Ram Temple verdict, Ladakh standoff, Abrogation of Article 370 and Demonetisation. She holds a BA (Hons) in English from Ramjas College, University of Delhi, and a Postgraduate Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Dhenkanal, Odisha. She is proficient in both English and Hindi and has earned a beginner-level certification in Korean. Beyond her newsroom responsibilities, Akanksha enjoys reading books that explore gender and social issues. She also turns to poetry as a creative outlet, writing verses whenever inspiration strikes.Read More