Classes Suspended and Hostels Empty After Unrest at Punjab University
· India · BBC News
Classes have been suspended and hostels emptied at Lovely Professional University in Punjab following violent protests triggered by an unverified WhatsApp rumour of a campus rape. Hundreds of students blocked National Highway 44, setting vehicles on fire and damaging police property after word of the alleged assault spread on 27 September. Police registered a case against an unidentified person and formed a seven-member special investigation team after student demands, though investigators have yet to identify a victim or perpetrator. University authorities have categorically denied the allegation as false and baseless, stating that CCTV footage reviewed so far shows no evidence of an attack. No student has come forward to report an assault to police, and the exact origin of the social media rumours remains under investigation.
Why it matters
Thousands of students residing on the campus have been forced to leave as key exams were postponed and police secured the area.
Read the original report — BBC News
Join us on Telegram
Breaking news the moment it lands. At 10,000 members we ship the Android app.