A student of Lovely Professional University (LPU) has described a night of unrest on the campus during which gates, access-control scanners, classrooms, shops and other facilities were allegedly damaged, while people from outside the university reportedly joined the protest.
The unrest followed rumours circulating among students about an alleged sexual assault involving a female student in a girls hostel. The student, whose name has been withheld to protect identity, said there was no confirmation of the allegation or the identity of the alleged victim.
“We have no confirmation of whether this is a rumour or it happened. Nobody knows who this girl is,” the student said.
According to the student, the situation turned tense during the night, with people from outside the campus allegedly entering the premises and damaging property.
“When I went out, they were just shouting. But later some guys from outside were trying to break the girls hostel gate,” she said.
The situation reportedly got worse later in the night, after people attempted to break the gates and doors in order to enter areas of the campus.
“They were breaking the gates, jumping on the gates and coming inside. We panicked,” the student said.
Meanwhile, the university sent out a message to students through its official app, asking them not to participate in the unrest and to remain inside their hostels or residences.
“All students are safe and secure on the campus,” the message said, describing the rumours circulating on social media as “false and misleading” and advising students to avoid “provocative or disruptive activities”.
The student said the message was received by students during the unrest but added that the incident had left several students disturbed.
“None of us could sleep as we were getting a lot of texts about it,” the student said.
She said the damage extended to several parts of the campus, including access-control scanners used by students to enter and exit.
According to her, a few academic blocks were also damaged, including classrooms and administration areas. The classrooms were allegedly damaged as well, with chairs and desks broken.
The student also claimed that shops operated by ecommerce companies and convenience stores next to the campus were vandalised.
“I heard they also broke into the private shops and stole stuff,” the student said, referring to outlets outside the campus.
The damage has also raised concerns among students about disruption to the academic schedule. The student said examinations could be delayed because of the damage to the infrastructure.
“This happened during the Operation Sindoor too when a lot of action was happening in the neighbourhood cities. We were sent home to ensure safety. Now, we fear this could affect our mid term exams,” the student said, adding that repairs to the damaged infrastructure would also take time.
The student went on to add that this could damage the reputation of the college and might not attract reputable companies during campus placements.
The university’s message urged students to cooperate in maintaining a “calm and orderly campus environment”.
The allegations that triggered the protest, including the claim of sexual assault in the hostel, remain unverified based on the student’s account. The student also referred to claims of earlier incidents but said these were based on what they had heard.
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