In Punjab, a protest by students of Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara turned violent last night when they clashed with police, leading to a lathi charge to control them. As a precautionary measure, the university has been closed for 10 days from today, and it has postponed mid-term examinations until further notice.

The students, who had blocked the New Delhi-Amritsar National Highway since Saturday night and also vandalised the university campus, pelted stones at police personnel, injuring some of them. They also damaged and torched police vehicles when police tried to clear the highway. The police were forced to resort to a mild lathi charge to control the situation.

The students are protesting over the alleged rape of a woman student on the university premises a few days ago and alleged inaction by the university authorities. Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla told the media that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising senior police officers and student representatives has been constituted to investigate the matter.

Meanwhile, Lovely Professional University has described the alleged rape incident as rumours, which are false, baseless and fabricated. The university has advised students who are not travelling back home during the closure to stay inside their hostels and follow official instructions while maintaining calm.