Overview
- Students at Chitkara University in Patiala and Lovely Professional University in Phagwara held large late‑night protests after unverified posts circulated on WhatsApp and social platforms alleging suicides, missing students, or a rape.
- Both university administrations and police have publicly denied any verified deaths or reported rapes and said no post‑mortems or formal complaints matched the viral claims.
- Authorities reviewed CCTV and hospital records and launched inquiries to verify student lists and identify who started or amplified the rumours.
- Protests turned violent at both campuses with protesters damaging university property, attacking police vehicles at Chitkara and blocking the Jalandhar‑Phagwara highway and setting fires at LPU, and police have increased security and begun damage assessments.
- Officials warned that tight student social networks can spread panic before facts are checked and said families should rely on official university and police communications as probes continue.