India university protests turn violent over alleged rape of student
The unrest reportedly began around 1am on Sunday near Girls Hostel No. 3 after students alleged that a female student had been raped by a plumber three days earlier.
Protests over the alleged rape of a female student at Lovely Professional University (CHANDIGARH LPU) in India turned violent, with students vandalising parts of the campus, setting vehicles on fire and blocking the Delhi-Amritsar highway for more than 15 hours, according to Indian media.
The unrest reportedly began around 1am on Sunday near Girls Hostel No. 3 after students alleged that a female student had been raped by a plumber three days earlier.
Students claimed the hostel warden had been informed about the alleged incident but no action was taken. The university administration, however, strongly denied the allegations surrounding its handling of the case.
Videos circulating on social media showed protesters climbing onto a retired MiG-23 fighter jet and a military tank displayed on the campus. Other footage reportedly showed windows and flowerpots being smashed and objects being set on fire.
Shops and a grocery store inside the university mall were also vandalised and allegedly looted, while an ATM was damaged during the unrest.
The violence later spilled outside the campus, where two police vehicles were set ablaze and several others were damaged.
#WATCH | Phagwara, Punjab: Students protesting outside Lovely Professional University clashed with police and set vehicles on fire.
As per Dean of LPU Sorabh Lakhanpal, “When the students brought this matter to our attention, we decided it needed to be treated seriously.… pic.twitter.com/S1A31nkbZk
— ANI (@ANI) September 27, 2026
Delhi-Amritsar highway blocked for over 15 hours
The protests spread to National Highway 44, where students blocked the Delhi-Amritsar highway for more than 15 hours, severely disrupting traffic.
When police attempted to clear the highway on Sunday evening, protesters allegedly threw bottles and stones at officers, prompting police to use batons to disperse the crowd. Several police personnel were reported injured during the clashes.
Police registered an FIR against unidentified individuals following complaints from students and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the allegations.
Investigators are expected to examine CCTV footage, forensic samples and call records as part of the investigation.
More than 2,000 police personnel were deployed following the unrest, and authorities said the situation had been brought under control by Monday morning.
LPU suspended regular classes for 10 days from Monday and postponed mid-term examinations until further notice. Students were also permitted to return to their hometowns.
2012 Delhi gang rape case
The latest protests come against the backdrop of continuing public concern in India over violence against women. In December 2012, a 23-year-old physiotherapy student was gang-raped and brutally assaulted on a moving bus in Delhi. She later died from her injuries. The case, widely referred to as the Nirbhaya case, triggered nationwide protests and led to significant amendments to India’s laws on sexual violence, including the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013.
