LPU violence: Who is Mohammad Farhat? influencer denies allegations of inciting violence as police probe campus vandalism

Phagwara: The violence that erupted at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, Punjab, has now turned the spotlight on Mohammad Farhat, a final-year BBA student and social media influencer who has been accused of provoking students and facilitating vandalism inside the university.

The allegations surfaced after a student, through an Instagram video, accused Farhat of instigating protesters and claimed that he was involved in the ransacking of the Dean of Student Welfare (DSW) office. The video also carried purported CCTV footage from the university premises.

Farhat, however, has rejected the allegations and said he had no role in damaging the DSW office. He has also defended his conduct during the protests, saying that some of the videos circulating on social media were being presented without the full context.

The controversy comes as the police intensify their investigation into multiple incidents linked to the LPU unrest, including the blocking of a national highway, alleged vandalism and looting inside the campus and the setting ablaze of police vehicles.

Who is Mohammad Farhat?

According to the information available about him, Farhat is a final-year BBA student at LPU and lives in a paying guest accommodation near the university.

On his Instagram account, he describes himself as a model and actor and regularly posts videos related to modelling and his activities. His account has more than 21,000 followers.

Farhat is reportedly from the Kishtwar area of Jammu and Kashmir. During the LPU protests, he posted several videos from the spot. In some of the footage, he can be seen at the front of the gathering while speaking about getting justice for the female student whose complaint triggered the protests.

What has Farhat said about the viral videos?

Farhat has acknowledged that he was involved in some incidents during the protest but has denied the broader allegations being levelled against him.

Addressing the controversy, he said some of the clips circulating online showed only a part of what happened and that he was prepared to release what he described as supporting evidence.

Explaining one of the videos, Farhat said he had struck the Tong Style with a stick when the protest initially began.

According to him, he was accompanied by three or four friends at the time and the situation escalated after they reached the main gate.

Claim about security guards hitting students

Farhat alleged that a security guard slapped a female student at the main gate and that another girl was hit on the hand with a stick.

He said the incident triggered an emotional reaction among the protesters. Farhat acknowledged his own involvement in the subsequent action and said he had accepted responsibility for what he did.

What does Farhat say about the DSW office?

The most serious allegation against Farhat concerns the vandalism inside the DSW office.

An Instagram video posted by a user identified as Ramya Mishra claims that Farhat entered the DSW office and called several youths inside. The video then shows what is claimed to be CCTV footage in which masked individuals enter the office and allegedly begin damaging property.

The video further claims that the office contained trophies won by university students and alleges that the masked individuals were carrying sharp-edged weapons.

Farhat has disputed the allegation that he encouraged the destruction. He claimed that when he was inside the DSW office, he actually told people not to damage the trophies.

Farhat said he considered the trophies to be a form of art and insisted that he had asked those present not to touch them.

He also claimed that he had evidence supporting his version and would release the material on Instagram.

Why did Farhat break a chain?

Another viral clip shows Farhat pulling at a chain.

Explaining the footage, he said he had broken the chain with the intention of using it to barricade an area around the girls' hostel. He claimed that he and his friends subsequently placed the chain around the hostel area.

According to Farhat, female students later came out and supported their actions.

He said he eventually realised that the situation had gone too far and stopped participating.

'I don't need anyone's sympathy'

Farhat has also rejected suggestions that he deliberately participated in the violence to gain publicity. He argued that he was already receiving attention through his social media presence and had no need to create controversy for fame.

Farhat said he had spent several days without sleeping and claimed that he had also put his own safety at risk while dealing with people during the unrest.

Responding to criticism, he said he did not want sympathy and only wanted people to examine the complete sequence of events before reaching a conclusion.

"If I am wrong, I am wrong at one place. I cannot be wrong everywhere."

Farhat says he gave a statement to police

Farhat also addressed questions over why he gave a statement to the police. He claimed that he had submitted his statement despite knowing that doing so could affect his career. According to him, he gave the statement in writing and did so publicly, with people from the university present.

He said the remaining evidence in his possession would be shared separately.

Police register three more FIRs

Meanwhile, the police investigation into the LPU violence has expanded. A case had already been registered at Satnam police station on Sunday following a complaint concerning the alleged rape of a female student.

Three more FIRs have now been registered in connection with other incidents during the unrest.

One case concerns the blocking of the national highway for more than 18 hours. The FIR was registered at Sadar police station in Phagwara on the statement of ASI Rohit Deep.

According to sources, another case relates to alleged looting and vandalism at a mall located inside the university campus.

The police have also registered a case over the burning of three police vehicles during clashes between students and police on Sunday evening.

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At present, the accused in these cases have been booked as unidentified persons. Investigators are expected to use video footage and other evidence gathered from the spot to establish their identities.

The police have started collecting CCTV footage from different parts of the university along with videos circulating on social media.

Investigators are particularly examining footage showing people who allegedly entered the campus wearing masks.

The police are also using university records and its internal data to determine who was present on the premises during the violence.