LPU violence: Police arrest nine people in connection with violence at varsity, 20 identified so far

PTC News Desk: Police have arrested nine people in connection with the violence at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, Punjab. According to police, the accused include seven students and two outsiders. Investigators have identified 20 people so far and named them in the case.

During a press conference, DIG Navin Singla said two people were arrested from Phagwara, while others were arrested from Jammu and Mumbai.

Police have also identified the person who climbed onto the MiG-23UM fighter jet displayed outside the university during the violence. CCTV footage helped police identify him, following which he was arrested from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district.

The accused is a minor and an LPU student from Mandi. His father is reportedly an officer at the Mandi DC office. A photograph of the boy standing on the fighter jet, with flames visible in the background, went viral on social media, with some users portraying him as a hero.

LPU Chancellor and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal said the MiG-23 and a tank used in the 1971 war are displayed outside the campus to honour the armed forces and inspire young people. He said climbing on them during the violence was disrespectful.

Five arrests in earlier cases

Police have registered four cases related to the LPU violence. Three of them concern blocking the highway, setting a police vehicle on fire and damaging university property.

Five people had earlier been arrested in these cases, including two pizza delivery workers and two LPU students.

Besides the minor who climbed onto the fighter jet, police arrested James Dahiya, a resident of Shiv Colony in Sonipat, Haryana; Gagandeep alias Kotha from Phagwara; and Jasmeet Kumar from Swami Param Nagar in Phagwara.

The fifth accused, Sahil, is a student at LPU and a resident of Doda district in Jammu. Police arrested him from his home.

Police have also detained several other people for questioning as the investigation continues.

LPU violence case

On the night of September 26, 2026, a claim circulated on social media that a female student living in an LPU hostel had allegedly been raped by a plumber who had come from outside the university. The posts also claimed that the university administration was not taking action. The information led thousands of students to protest.

The protesters allegedly damaged university property and vandalised and looted shops at the Uni Mall on the campus. They also blocked National Highway-44 on the Jalandhar-Phagwara route for more than 18 hours, causing major traffic disruption.

However, the student whose name was being linked to the alleged incident later released a video saying that she was safe and that no such incident had happened.

This has left police investigating the central question of the case: Who was the alleged victim, and where did the rape claim originate?