Indian university suspends classes amid violent protests over alleged rape

Lovely Professional University in Punjab suspends classes for 10 days due to campus unrest over rape allegations that university officials deny.A university in the Indian state of Punjab has suspended classes for 10 days after protests on campus over an alleged rape last week, a claim that university officials have denied.In an announcement on Monday, Lovely Professional University in Phagwara also postponed midterm examinations due to the demonstrations, which turned violent.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Women expose rape as a weapon of war in Sudanlist 2 of 3Seventy years after South Africa’s women’s march, the struggle is not overlist 3 of 3Trump loses another bid to overturn $5m E Jean Carroll verdictend of list“Students may, in consultation with their parents/guardians, travel to their hometowns during this 10-day period, if they wish to do so,” it said in a statement.“Students who stay back are advised to stay inside their hostels/places of residence and avoid unnecessary movement or involvement in any unrest-related activities in the interest of their own safety.”According to posts on social media, a female student was raped on campus. Some claimed the student committed suicide. Police said they were investigating the alleged incident, adding that the identity of the student had not been established, the news magazine India-today" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="210656" data-entity-type="organization">India Today reported.The protests escalated on Sunday as demonstrators clashed with police, and reports in local media said there were incidents of vandalism inside the university.Protesters allegedly threw stones, smashed windows and set fire to vehicles on campus as well as damaging police vehicles, according to reports. Students also reportedly blocked a nearby highway.University registrar Monica Gulati denied the rape had taken place, saying on Sunday that there was “no truth” to the allegations.“The manner in which such false and misleading information is being systematically circulated appears to be a deliberate and concerted attempt to malign the reputation of the university and tarnish its image,” India" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="133421" data-entity-type="organization">The Times of India, the country’s largest English newspaper, reported.