In the wake of a viral message on September 26 claiming a girl was raped at the G3 hostel, LPU's peaceful campus in Phagwara turned into a scene of protests, stone-throwing, and arson. By the night of September 27 and into the following day, the unrest spilled onto major roads and led to clashes with police and damage to vehicles. Law enforcement has since tightened the response and begun a formal inquiry.
Officials from the Patiala-Dera Bass police range say the incident originated from a fake circulated on the evening of September 26. suggested inaction by the administration after the alleged incident, and it quickly mobilized hundreds of students, prompting arson, looting, and a highway obstruction on the Delhi-Jalandhar corridor.
Multiple FIRs have been registered, including charges under the Protection of Public and Private Property Act and other severe sections at Phagwara's Satnam pura police station and the city police station. Police say they used CCTV footage, technical surveillance, and s to identify and detain nine suspects so far. The detainees include seven LPU students and two outsiders; four are from Phagwara, one is a juvenile outsider, two are from Jammu and Kashmir, and two were rounded up from Mumbai. About twenty provocateurs have been named in the case.
Among those named is influencer Mohammad Farhat, who is tied to videos and s showing damage and vandalism. He has been named in the case and is expected to be taken in for questioning.
D.I.G. Nawin Singla emphasized that police restraint was exercised initially, given the students are considered like children of the community. He said the situation escalated only after mobs vandalized police and media vehicles and set property on fire, necessitating a measured use of force to disperse the crowd.
The SIT is leading the inquiry, questioning hostel residents, women wardens, and maintenance staff, and reviewing CCTV footage to establish factual timelines and accountability. While no direct victims had come forward as complainants, authorities filed a rape FIR against an unknown accused in response to the growing public outcry. Investigations continue into the external roles of nearby rental properties and hostel syndicates that may have fueled the disturbance.
