The story so far: In the last week of September, there was a spurt of unrest in two private universities in Punjab — Chitkara University and Lovely Professional University (LPU). The unrests were triggered by rumours that surfaced and spread on social media. In both cases, the rumours spread online faster than the facts could be verified, resulting in violent protests on campus.
What were the rumours in Chitkara?
On the intervening night of September 25 and 26, students at the Rajpura-based Chitkara University in Patiala district held a protest, alleging that two female students had died by suicide on campus and their bodies had been disposed of. They allegedly damaged two police vehicles, apart from assaulting a police officer.
The students also alleged that mysterious voices were coming from the university’s girls’ hostel, though preliminary police findings suggested it was a prank.
The initial probe by the police found the allegations about students going missing and having died by suicide to be unfounded. The police have arrested two people — both former students of the university — for provoking students by spreading rumours.
What happened in LPU?
A day later, trouble also began at LPU at Phagwara in Kapurthala district. Agitated students went on a rampage on campus following a rumour that an outsider had raped a female student in the university’s GH-3 hostel. Videos on social media showed protesters at LPU, some of them with their faces covered, vandalising property on campus. On September 27 morning, they blocked National Highway-44, demanding that the police register an FIR in the case.
The police registered an FIR against an unidentified person under Section 64 (rape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and a Special Investigation Team is probing the matter. However, nearly a week later, the alleged victim remains unidentified. The students have so far been unable to establish whether they know the person in question, say the police.
Despite the police registering a case, the protesters continued blocking the National Highway, pressing for other student-related demands. A clash broke out between the police and students, when protesters allegedly threw bottles and stones at the police and set some police vehicles on fire. The police responded with lathi charge. By the next morning, the situation was brought under control and the National Highway was cleared for traffic.
The police registered an FIR against the protesters under Sections 326(g), 324(4), and 309(4) of the BNS — relating to arson, property damage, and robbery, respectively — and under Section 4 of the Punjab Prevention of Damage to Public and Private Property Act, 2014.
They also registered an FIR under Sections 109 (attempt to murder), 132 (assault or the use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging their official duty), 221 (voluntarily obstructing any public servant while they are performing their official public duties), 326(b) (penalising any wrongful act of mischief that damages or obstructs a public road, bridge, navigable river, or channel), 326(g) (using fire or an explosive substance to destroy a building ordinarily used as a place of worship, a human dwelling, or a place for the custody of property) and 324(5) (causing property loss or damage amounting to ₹1 lakh or upwards) of the BNS.
So far, the police have arrested nine people.
How did the two universities respond?
In its statement, Chitkara University dismissed the reports circulating on social media about the alleged suicide, terming them false.
LPU claimed that certain “anti-social elements” had spread false, baseless rumours. It released a video statement featuring three female students from room no. 504 of the GH-3 hostel, in which they claimed that no such incident had taken place.
How did this lead to a political slugfest?
Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal is the founder and chancellor of LPU. In April, he had quit the ruling AAP and joined the BJP. Former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar said that when someone leaves the AAP out of frustration with its “misguided policies”, the party expresses its political resentment through “vengeful actions”. Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that the AAP had used LPU students as pawns for revenge.
Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has sought a status report from the Punjab government on the probe into the LPU violence, while hearing a petition seeking a CBI probe into the vandalism and violence.
In both Chitkara University and LPU, the rumours about suicide and rape, respectively, spread online faster than the facts could be verified, resulting in violence.