The Punjab and Haryana High Court on September 30 asked the Punjab government for a status report on the investigation into violence at Lovely Professional University in Phagwara. Reports of the hearing said the court sought clarification on whether the sexual-assault allegation circulating online had been verified and what police had done to establish the facts. The next hearing is scheduled for October 8.
The directions came on a public-interest petition by a university student seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry. Punjab’s counsel told the court that police were examining both the allegation and the source of the social-media post. The court also sought details of action over the campus violence and measures to prevent a recurrence. It has not ordered a transfer of the investigation to the CBI.
The unrest had led to the suspension of classes and postponement of examinations, as previously reported. The university has denied the sexual-assault allegation, which remains unconfirmed. The September 30 hearing requires the state to explain the progress of its investigation; it does not settle whether the alleged assault occurred. The original court order was not available for independent review.