Violence over sexual assault claim in LPU, university denies incident

Violence over sexual assault claim in LPU, university denies incident After the violence, LPU suspended classes for 10 days with effect from September 28.

Key points

• During protests by students of the Lovely Professional University in Phagwara, Punjab, Sunday.
• After the violence, LPU suspended classes for 10 days with effect from September 28.
• The university denied the allegation, describing it as "baseless and fabricated rumours".

What happened

During protests by students of the Lovely Professional University in Phagwara, Punjab, Sunday. (PTI).

Students of Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab's Phagwara staged a violent protest early on Sunday, damaging property, vandalising shops, setting vehicles on fire and blocking a national highway, alleging that a girl student had been sexually assaulted by an "outsider" on campus. The university denied the allegation, describing it as "baseless and fabricated rumours".

After the violence, LPU suspended classes for 10 days with effect from September 28. In a communication to students, the university remarked mid-term examinations had additionally been postponed until further notice. It advised those staying on campus to remain inside their hostels or places of residence, avoid unnecessary movement and refrain from participation in the ongoing unrest.

The bottom line

For now, violence over sexual assault claim in LPU, university denies incident remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.