Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday ordered strict action against the culprits in connection with the alleged rape incident at Lovely Professional University (LPU) and directed Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav to visit the site and take stock of the situation.
According to the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office, Mann has taken a tough stance on the LPU matter and instructed the DGP to personally assess the situation at the university.
“Lovely Professional University (LPU) matter | Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has ordered strict action against the culprits. He has directed DGP Gaurav Yadav to go to the spot and assess the situation,” the Punjab CMO said.
The Chief Minister’s direction comes amid protests at the university in Phagwara over an alleged rape incident.
Massive student protests erupted on Sunday after reports circulated on social media about the alleged rape of a university student inside the campus premises. The protests later turned violent, prompting the deployment of a large police force.
The situation at LPU remained peaceful on Monday morning, with students leaving the campus after the university suspended regular classes for 10 days.
Speaking to ANI, Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Harinder Gill said there were no protests on the campus at present and that police had made large-scale deployments at all gates.
“The situation has been peaceful since last night. The University Administration has suspended regular classes for 10 days. So, students have been leaving here since last night. The situation is peaceful. There is no protesting or anything as of now. We have made a large-scale deployment of Police at all gates of the campus,” Gill said.
Police have said the investigation into the alleged incident is underway to ascertain the facts. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether a student was raped inside the university campus, while the identity of the accused is also yet to be established. An FIR has been registered against multiple unknown persons.
Earlier, Punjab Police conducted a flag march at LPU. ADGP Fayaz Farooqui said more than 2,000 personnel had been deployed to ensure security on the campus and maintain law and order.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Satinder Singh said reports of disturbances in hostels were rumours and that all hostels had been checked.
Meanwhile, LPU announced that regular classes would remain suspended for 10 days from September 28, while mid-term examinations have been postponed until further notice. The university advised students wishing to travel to their hometowns to do so in consultation with their parents or guardians.
The university has also appealed to students to remain calm, follow official instructions and avoid unnecessary movement or involvement in unrest-related activities.