Indian university suspends classes amid violent protests over alleged rape

What the report says

Lovely Professional University in Phagwara, Punjab, suspended classes for 10 days and postponed midterm exams after campus protests over an alleged rape that officials say did not occur. Al Jazeera, citing university statements, local media and Reuters, reported that the unrest escalated on Sunday and involved clashes with police, vandalism and damage to vehicles on campus, along with a blocked nearby highway.

The dispute began after social media posts claimed a female student had been raped on campus, with some posts also alleging she died by suicide. Police said they were investigating but had not established the student’s identity, according to the report. University registrar Monica Gulati denied that any rape took place and said the allegations were false and damaging to the institution’s reputation.

The article also noted a separate video involving three female students from the same residence building, who later said they had been told what to say after initially appearing to support the registrar’s account. Al Jazeera placed the episode in the wider context of ongoing public concern about sexual violence in India, where activists and courts have recently pressed for stronger accountability and better protection for women. The case matters because it reflects both the spread of unverified claims on social media and the broader sensitivity of rape allegations in India’s campuses and public life.