Amid allegations of a sexual assault on a student in the GH3 hostel, Lovely Professional University (LPU) was rocked by violent protests late Saturday night. The protesters laid siege to the premises, vandalising property, hurling barricades and chairs, and were involved in minor arson incidents on the campus, which has over 30,000 students.The students indulged in arson again on Jattvibeday night, setting a police vehicle afire. The protesters claimed the police resorted to a lathicharge after they refused to move from a highway. However, the police denied the allegations of a lathicharge and said students pelted cops with stones.The violence on the campus came a day after protests at Chitkara University near Rajpura, which were sparked by similar viral reels and claims that two girls from the hostel were either missing or had died by suicide.The Kapurthala police on Jattvibeday registered an FIR against unknown person in connection with the alleged rape at the LPU following a complaint by hostel students. The case was registered under Section 64 (rape) of the BNS at the Satnampura police station.The LPU refuted the allegations, terming them baseless and rumour-driven. The unverified allegation, however, set in motion one of the most unprecedented protests on the campus, with students laying siege to the premises on Saturday night and taking to the streets at 4 am on Jattvibeday, blocking the NH-44 (Jalandhar-Phagwara highway).Videos showed a huge crowd of students gathered outside Girls’ Hostel No. 4. They broke window panes, vandalised campus property, hurled chairs, road fixtures and flower pots, banged on boards and windows with lathis, and set campus property on fire. They even climbed atop a MiG-23 fighter aircraft and a military tank on display on the campus.In the videos, students claimed the protests were sparked by the alleged rape of a student by an outside worker at the GH3 hostel on September 23. The protesting students demanded greater safety in the girls’ hostel, institutional accountability and action against the culprit.In some videos, students also alleged that outsiders entered the campus, indulged in hooliganism and stole expensive goods from the on-campus mall.Students’ accounts varied, attributing the alleged rape to either a painter, a plumber or a construction worker. They claimed they did not know the girl’s identity or where she had gone. Some alleged that she had returned home and subsequently died by suicide.A male student, speaking to the media, alleged, “Students of every hostel, both girls’ and boys’, initially held a peaceful protest on the campus. However, things escalated when we felt our grievances were not being heard.”A girl student alleged, “There is usually stringent security on the campus. Yet, how did an outside worker rape a student in the hostel? Workers should not be allowed near the girls’ hostel during late hours.”Corroborating its claim that the allegations were based on rumours, the LPU administration later released a video from room number 504 of the GH3 hostel, featuring three girl students who said, “We have been living in this room for the past two months. Nothing happened here. We appeal to people to stop pestering us and urge the police to stop visiting our room.”The police have formed an SIT comprising SP (Investigation) Vineet Ahlwat, SP, Phagwara, Major Singh, in-charge, CIA Staff, Phagwara, Balwinder Singh and Inspector Amanpreet Kaur.DIG, Jalandhar Range, Naveen Singla said, “An intensive probe is being carried out at the LPU hostel. Room number 504, where the rape is alleged to have occurred, is occupied by girl students who stated that they have been living there for two months. Nothing untoward has been found in the nearby rooms either. We are retrieving CCTV footage. Two female and two male student leaders form the LPU have been included in the SIT.”The DIG added that 15 days ago, a girl from Telangana had died by suicide. Proceedings had been initiated on her parents’ complaint, and a phone analysis had been conducted. That case was also under investigation.The DIG said constant appeals were being made to students to maintain peace, as all issues raised by them were under consideration.Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora said, “Some vandals, possibly masquerading as students, may have entered the campus and indulged in hooliganism on Saturday night. A separate FIR will be registered and an investigation launched into the matter.”LPU Registrar Monica Gulati said, “Certain anti-social elements are spreading completely false, baseless and fabricated rumours through social media and other channels, thereby creating unnecessary confusion among students and attempting to disturb the peaceful academic environment of the university. There appears to be a deliberate and concerted attempt to malign the reputation of the university and tarnish its image. The university categorically clarifies that there is no truth in the rumours.”