Chandigarh:
Punjab’s Lovely Professional University (LPU) administration’s attempt to calm a growing storm over unverified rape rumours has instead deepened it, after the very students it featured in a clarification video came forward to say they had been told what to say, and that their words were used without consent.
Amid protests, Registrar Dr Monika Gulati released a video addressing students. In the same video, she featured three students who live in Room No. 504 of Girls’ Hostel 3, the room named in the claims, who denied that any such incident had occurred there.
In the video, Dr Gulati said, “I would like you to hear what the girls residing in room number 504 of GH3 told us.”
The first student said, “So, we are the residents of room number 504. Nothing of that sort happened in our room; we have been living here for the past two months. Please, police and students, do not bother us. Nothing like that happened in our room, and we are not involved in this at all.”
The second student added, “We have been extremely distressed today, and if we face further trouble, we will involve our parents. Please do not harass us.”
The third said, “And the police should also stop coming to our room repeatedly; otherwise, we will call our parents.”
Read: Punjab’s Lovely Professional University Students Vandalise Campus, Block Highway Over ‘Rape’ Case
Dr Gulati closed the video by claiming that the ongoing protests and unrest were a conspiracy to defame the university through false and fabricated rumours.
“The only conclusion to be drawn from all this is that anti-social elements and individuals with vested interests are behind this,” she said.
Students Say They Were Told What To Say
A separate video later emerged in which the same three students said they had been instructed on what to say, and that their statements had been used without their knowledge or consent.
One student said, “[LPU administration] told us to record all this and say it for them. We were just instructed to say that students and others are bothering us. Half of our video was trimmed and posted on Instagram, about which we had no idea. Our consent was not taken. This was done without informing us, and now we are facing unnecessary abuse.”
A second student added, “We have no involvement in this. A random room was picked and named. We have absolutely no role in this. Please leave us alone.”
The row began after students at LPU vandalised parts of the campus and set fire to sections of the building, following a protest over unverified claims that a female student had been sexually assaulted and had later died by suicide.
Videos from the campus showed a large group of students protesting, chanting slogans and demanding justice. The situation escalated when some students damaged window panes and flower pots, and set fire to objects, including parts of the university building. A group of students also blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara national highway, causing a heavy traffic jam. Students claimed that the ones causing unrest and damage weren’t enrolled at the university.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Jalandhar Range, Naveen Singla, said students claimed a girl in a hostel had been sexually assaulted around three days earlier and had since returned home. “We have registered a case based on that statement,” he told reporters.
One protesting student alleged that the woman had been assaulted by a construction worker on campus, after which the college authorities sent her home. Her roommate reportedly then told other students that the woman had died by suicide.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Kapurthala, Gaurav Toora, said earlier that police had no information about any such incident. “We got to know last night that students had blocked the Jalandhar highway. We went there and controlled the situation. We got to know then that the students flagged some issues with the LPU administration and that there were rumours of a case. Nothing about such a crime was reported to us,” he said.
Toora added that he had spoken with student bodies at the university, who are looking into the matter. “Seems like there is a misunderstanding between the university and students. We will try to conduct a meeting between them,” he said, adding that an assessment of the property damage was underway and that legal action would follow.
Separately, LPU issued a statement urging students to ignore the “rumours” and assuring them that they remain “safe and secure” on campus.
“The rumours circulating on social media are false and misleading and circulated by mischievous sources. You are advised not to participate in any unrest, to remain safely inside your hostel/room/residence, and to avoid involvement in any provocative or disruptive activities. Kindly cooperate in maintaining a calm and orderly campus environment,” the statement said.
