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LPU rape rumour: HC seeks Punjab Police report on fake post that sparked violence
Bench orders status report signed by police commissioner to confirm if alleged assault occurred and trace Reddit post behind widespread arson.
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Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday directed the Punjab government and police to file a comprehensive status report on the violence, arson, and looting that broke out at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara following an alleged rape rumour on September 26.
A bench headed by chief justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and justice Rohit Kapoor issued the direction while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by LPU BTech student Ravi Raj. The petition seeks a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the unrest, arguing that authorities failed to enforce IT Act provisions to stop unverified claims from spreading.
The court ordered the status report—to be signed directly by the police commissioner—to clarify whether the alleged rape occurred, give details of the actions taken against the perpetrators of the violence, and outline steps taken to remove the online post.
Unrest broke out on the night of September 26 after a post on social media platform Reddit claimed a girl student had been raped on campus and sent home. The rumour prompted hundreds of students to protest outside the girls’ hostel and block the Amritsar-Delhi National Highway-44.
According to the plea, the situation escalated when masked outsiders armed with swords, rods, and sickles broke through the main gates, destroyed CCTV cameras, looted shops, and set property on fire. A heavy police deployment was required to restore order by Monday. In the wake of the violence, the university suspended all academic activities for 10 days from September 28.
Additional solicitor general Satyapal Jain told reporters outside court that identifying those behind the social media claims is critical, noting the involvement of armed outsiders suggests a deliberate conspiracy. The Punjab government informed the bench that police are coordinating with Reddit to trace the source of the post.
The high court has directed the state government to implement measures preventing similar incidents on campus and scheduled the next hearing for October 8.
