Jalandhar: Amidst slogans of ‘We want justice’ and ‘Tanashahi nahi chalegi’, hundreds of agitated students of Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara ransacked the varsity and torched vehicles after reports of an alleged rape of a girl on the university’s hostel premises surfaced late on Saturday night.The students also blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara highway or National Highway-44, where heavy police force was deployed to avert any major tragedy. The students’ protest continued till the filing of this report while traffic on the highway remained blocked for hours.Punjab Police resorted to lathi charge after reports of stone pelting and torching of police vehicles were reported late in the evening on Sunday. While the student protests continued, police blocked all nearby roads and access to National Highway No. 44, ostensibly to prevent outsiders from approaching the university campus.Videos of Punjab Police using their lathis and canes on women students went viral on social media, and reports said the vehicles belonging to some media outlets and journalists may have been damaged too.LPU is a private university owned by BJP Rajya Sabha MP, Ashok Mittal, who is its founder and chancellor. Mittal was earlier an AAP MP but joined the BJP in April this year.As the news of the rape case spread, agitated students started protesting and ransacked the university premises. It was learnt that a mall within the university was looted while vehicles parked on the campus were either smashed or torched. “We have learnt that many outsiders also barged inside the university, looting iPhones, laptops, electronics and other goods. The gym on the campus, its machines and all the nearby buildings were ransacked too,” said some students staying in a nearby paying guests (PG) facility.The students were agitated over the fact that the alleged rape of the girl student took place three days ago, but LPU authorities did not take any action. “We came to know that the victim approached the university staff but instead of being heard, the university authorities sent her back home. How can this be tolerated? We want a fair probe, justice and safety of the girls, as the crime was committed by a worker of LPU,” said a group of protesting students.Notably, LPU claims to have around 40,000 plus students from across the country and from other friendly nations like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Indonesia, Bhutan, DR Congo and Mali to name a few. The university has a sprawling campus spread over 600 acres.Reportedly, students’ protest and anger escalated as neither the faculty nor the other staff on the varsity premises came forward to listen to them. “We want justice, transparency and answers from the LPU authorities,” the students said.“It should be probed who committed the crime and why were the LPU authorities trying to save him. It is shocking to see the university’s silence over this case. Instead of action against its staff and justice, they are trying to hush up the case,” the students said.Incidentally, LPU’s protest escalated a day after a similar case of student unrest in Chitkara University, Rajpura took place. The students at Chitkara University also led protests after reports of two girls missing from the campus surfaced on social media. The students of Chitkara university had conflicting statements while videos of protest went viral on social media.Police registers FIR, forms SITTalking to The Wire, Superintendent of Police (SP) Phagwara Major Singh said, “We have lodged an FIR under section 64 of Bhartiya Nayay Sahita, punishment for offence of rape against unknown persons, but it appears to be a false rumour.”SP Phagwara also said that they have been talking to the protesting students since 2 am Sunday but there was lack of clarity in this case. “The students are making different statements, and we are reaching out to them,” he said.Earlier, Deputy Inspector General (Jalandhar Range) Naveen Singla, who arrived at the university premises to review the situation, spoke to the media and said, “The students have informed that a girl was raped three days ago in the GH-3 hostel of the university premises and that no action was taken by the varsity authorities. We have lodged an FIR, recorded the statements of the student leaders and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the matter.”LPU categorically denies the incidentMeanwhile, LPU authorities have strongly refuted the allegations, calling them ‘rumours, false, and fabricated news’ being spread on social media.In its statement, the LPU said that it has come to their notice that certain anti-social elements are spreading completely false, baseless and fabricated rumours through social media and other channels, thereby creating unnecessary confusion among students and attempting to disturb the peaceful academic environment of the university.The manner in which such false and misleading information is being systematically circulated appears to be a deliberate and concerted attempt to malign the reputation of the university and tarnish its image.LPU Registrar Monica Gulati said, “The University categorically clarifies that there is no truth in the rumours presently being circulated. Students, parents and members of the public are requested not to believe, circulate or amplify such rumours. They should rely upon information communicated through official channels of the University only.”