LPU Unrest: Nine Arrested, 20 Named as Punjab Police Deny Lathi-Chargeਐੱਲਪੀਯੂ ਹੰਗਾਮਾ: ਨੌਂ ਗ੍ਰਿਫ਼ਤਾਰ, 20 ਨਾਮਜ਼ਦ; ਪੁਲਿਸ ਨੇ ਲਾਠੀਚਾਰਜ ਤੋਂ ਇਨਕਾਰ ਕੀਤਾ

The Punjab Police on Thursday said they have arrested nine people, seven Lovely Professional University students, including a juvenile, and two outsiders, in connection with the violent unrest that rocked the LPU campus in Phagwara on September 27. Twenty individuals have been identified and named as accused in the case. The development marks the latest chapter in a saga Jugti News has been tracking since the first FIRs were filed and remands began.

Nine arrested, 20 named

Addressing a press conference in Jalandhar, Deputy Inspector General (Jalandhar range) Naveen Singla, accompanied by Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora and SIT in-charge Vaneet Ahlawat, said the arrests followed an FIR-based investigation that tracked suspects to Phagwara, Jammu and Mumbai. Of the nine arrested, seven are students of the university, one of them a juvenile, while the remaining two are outsiders. Investigators have identified 20 individuals involved in the rioting and formally named them.

The unrest began after viral social media posts alleged that an outsider had sexually assaulted a female student inside the girls' hostel, triggering intense agitation. Students gathered in large numbers demanding accountability, security overhauls and action from the university authorities. The university has consistently denied the allegations, calling them false, baseless and fabricated rumours.

Police deny initiating lathi-charge

Refuting claims of police high-handedness, DIG Singla clarified that personnel did not initiate any lathi-charge. He said the police had initially been coordinating with the media and students to send an assuring message that the administration stood with them. According to the senior officer, the damage was initially minimal when police units arrived on campus, but a section of the crowd suddenly turned violent, pelting stones at police and media personnel, vandalising property and setting multiple vehicles on fire. Police teams were then compelled to use minimal force to disperse the violent mob and restore order.

Campus shut, internet snapped

To restore order and prevent the further spread of misinformation, university authorities suspended physical classes for 10 days and postponed mid-term examinations, while the local administration temporarily cut internet access around the campus radius. The clashes spilt onto the New Delhi-Amritsar National Highway, where protesters blocked traffic for hours.

Probe widens to the viral message's origin

On the alleged sexual assault that triggered the agitation, Singla said a dedicated Special Investigation Team is conducting an impartial and thorough probe to establish the facts. Authorities and law enforcement agencies are tracing the origin of the digital posts and investigating potential cross-border or political links behind the coordinated disruption, ANI reported.

Who was arrested in the LPU campus unrest case?

Punjab Police said on Thursday they have arrested nine people, seven Lovely Professional University students, including a juvenile, and two outsiders. Twenty individuals have been identified and named as accused. The announcement was made by DIG (Jalandhar range) Naveen Singla at a press conference in Jalandhar, with Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora and SIT in-charge Vaneet Ahlawat.

The arrests followed an FIR-based investigation that tracked suspects to Phagwara, Jammu and Mumbai.

What triggered the LPU unrest on September 27?

The unrest began after viral social media posts alleged that an outsider had sexually assaulted a female student inside the girls' hostel, triggering intense agitation. Students gathered in large numbers demanding accountability, security overhauls and action from the university authorities. The university has consistently denied the allegations, calling them false, baseless and fabricated rumours.

Did the police lathi-charge students at LPU?

DIG Singla refuted claims of police high-handedness, saying personnel did not initiate any lathi-charge. He said police had initially been coordinating with the media and students to send an assuring message, and that the damage was minimal when units arrived, but a section of the crowd suddenly turned violent, pelting stones at police and media personnel, vandalising property and setting multiple vehicles on fire.

Police teams were then compelled to use minimal force to disperse the violent mob and restore order. To prevent further misinformation, physical classes were suspended for 10 days, mid-term exams postponed, and internet access temporarily cut around the campus radius.

ਅੱਪਡੇਟ: Oct 22, 2026: by October 8, police had named 89 youths and arrested 17 people in the LPU violence cases, per The Tribune and Jugti's later report.