Two private educational institutions situated just 140 kilometers apart in Punjab found themselves engulfed in severe violence, vandalism, and panic fueled by unverified rumors over two consecutive nights. On one hand, Chitkara University near Rajpura witnessed widespread social media panic regarding hostel rooms being haunted by ghosts and female students going missing, while on the other hand, Lovely Professional University or LPU in Phagwara saw thousands of students take to the streets following unverified claims of an alleged sexual assault on a female student and her subsequent suicide.
Both situations originated from underlying student safety concerns combined with viral social media claims that lacked factual backing. What started as digital panic quickly escalated into fierce protests, heavy police deployment, property destruction, and direct physical violence. However, Punjab Police Special DGP Praveen Sinha clearly stated that no direct connection has been established so far between the incidents that occurred at the two separate universities.
Ghost Stories and Panic at Chitkara University
The wave of rumors at Chitkara University began on September 23. According to police statements, a few female students allegedly played scary audio noises through a loudspeaker inside the hostel premises. Following this incident, the hostel warden conducted a thorough room-to-room inspection, but found nothing unusual that could validate any abnormal occurrence.
Subsequently, fictional stories about the hostel being haunted began spreading rapidly across various social media platforms. Rumors claimed that the hostel was haunted by the spirit of a student who had died by suicide several years ago. Police formally dismissed these claims as baseless rumors.
Tensions received a further boost on September 24 when an ambulance and a priest arrived at the campus. University authorities clarified that the ambulance had arrived around 2:50 PM simply to bring back a student from the hospital, while the priest had visited around 3:00 PM solely to meet his daughter. According to the university, neither of these routine visits had any connection to a death or suicide, but by then, social media had transformed the narrative entirely.
Unfounded Claims of Missing Students
By the night of September 25, a large crowd of students began gathering inside the campus. Some individuals claimed that female students had gone missing from the hostel or that malicious incidents had occurred. Police stated that when protesters were asked to provide concrete details regarding the allegedly missing students, they failed to produce any names, photographs, roll numbers, or verifiable identification markers. Authorities confirmed that no official reports of missing or injured students had been received.
Despite this lack of official verification, campus tension continued to escalate, prompting multiple police teams to enter the premises. As the situation deteriorated, police vehicles were targeted and campus property was vandalized. Incidents of scuffles with police personnel were also reported, proving how quickly fear generated online translated into physical violence on the ground.
Allegations of Sexual Assault Spark Unrest at LPU
Just a day after the Chitkara unrest, student anger erupted at LPU in Phagwara over an alleged sexual assault involving a student. Rumors spread among students that an outsider had committed a sexual offense against a female student inside the girls' hostel. Conflicting claims circulated regarding the identity of the alleged perpetrator, with various groups identifying him as a painter, a plumber, or a construction worker.
Some students further claimed that the alleged victim subsequently went home and passed away. However, these claims remained unverified by independent sources.
The situation turned more serious when police registered an FIR against an unknown person based on student complaints, and a Special Investigation Team was formed to probe the matter. Police initiated investigations utilizing forensic evidence, CCTV footage, and mobile phone data to uncover the truth behind the alleged incident.
Controversial University Video Raises Questions
The LPU administration dismissed the viral rumors of sexual assault as completely false and fabricated. To reassure students, the university released a video featuring three resident hostel students who denied that any such incident had taken place.
However, those same students later alleged that they had been given specific instructions on what to say while the video was being recorded. They claimed the footage was edited and released without their proper consent.
This development added further complexity to the situation. While the students' allegations did not confirm the occurrence of a sexual assault, they cast serious doubts on the authenticity and handling of the university's video message.
Protests Spill Over From Campus to National Highway
Student demonstrations at LPU soon spilled beyond the campus boundaries as protesters marched to the Jalandhar-Phagwara highway and blocked traffic. The blockade caused severe disruptions for commuters traveling toward Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Reports emerged of local shops, vehicles, and other property being damaged alongside campus vandalism. Social media footage showed some protesters climbing atop military exhibits displayed on campus, including a MiG-23 aircraft, before a police vehicle was set ablaze.
Police reported that several personnel sustained injuries and official vehicles suffered extensive damage. Meanwhile, protesters accused law enforcement of resorting to a harsh lathicharge. Police countered these allegations by stating that protesters had initiated stone-pelting against security forces.
Heavy Security Deployment Restores Order
To bring the deteriorating situation under control, a massive security contingent was deployed across the LPU campus. Official reports indicated that over 2,000 police personnel were stationed at the location by September 28. Authorities confirmed that law and order had been fully restored, while both universities took steps to resume normal academic activities.
