Lovely University closed amid intensifying student protests; Malayali students head home, internet services suspended

NEW DELHI: Police took full control of Lovely Professional University campus in Punjab after certain incidents sparked ferocious protests by students. The university is owned by Ashok Kumar Mittal, a Rajya Sabha MP who defected from the Aam Aadmi Party. Problems started after reports emerged that a female student was allegedly sexually assaulted on campus and she subsequently took her own life.

Over 2,000 police personnel have been deployed, including within the campus premises. The university has been closed for 10 days, internet services on campus have been cut off, and mid-term examinations have been postponed.

Around 5,000 Malayalees study here, and the majority have returned home in the wake of the protests.

The police instructed students remaining on campus not to leave their hostels or accommodation. Traffic was restored early yesterday morning on National Highway 44, which had been blockaded by the students. Students who had been taken into police custody late Sunday night—including a native of Kollam—were released.

The student protest erupted late Saturday night. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directed DGP Gaurav Yadav to take strict action against the culprits and to visit the site to assess the situation personally. The Punjab Women's Commission sought a report on the incident. Reports circulating on social media allege that the female student was raped by a worker and she subsequently committed suicide.

Although the police registered a case and formed a special investigation team to probe the incident, neither the college authorities nor the police have confirmed reports that the student was raped.

After the student reported the case, the college authorities allegedly sent her home, and it is alleged that she took her own life here. Meanwhile, a video surfaced of three hostel students denying any untoward incident in college. However, the revelation that Registrar Dr Monica Gulati had coerced them into making those statements landed the university in a difficult position.

BJP alleged a political vendetta behind the issue, as the university is owned by Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal—who defected from the Aam Aadmi Party. The incident comes ahead of the assembly elections scheduled for early next year.