Three men—Abhi, Kala and James Dahiya—were taken into custody on May 28 after police traced them to a locker room on the LPU campus. They face charges of arson, vandalism and property damage during a student protest that erupted on Sunday night.
The protest began after a social‑media post claimed a female student had been raped and then committed suicide. No victim was named, and the police report said the post was fabricated. The rumor spread like wildfire, and within hours students marched to the campus gates, set fire to the administration building and blocked the Jalandhar‑Phagwara highway.
LPU’s security system, which includes facial‑recognition scanners and automated boom barriers, reportedly failed to stop the breach. Founder‑Chancellor Ashok Mittal, who was elected on an AAP ticket before switching to the BJP, said the incident was part of a larger conspiracy that, he alleged, had Pakistani links. He urged the central government to launch an inquiry and warned that the violence could destabilise Punjab’s 30‑million‑strong population.
In the aftermath, the university suspended mid‑term examinations and announced a temporary halt to all on‑campus activities. A court hearing is scheduled for June 10, when the arrested men will face further charges, and the university’s board has requested a federal investigation into the alleged transnational plot.