Chitkara University suspends classes till October 1 amid unverified 'suicide rumours'

Punjab's Chitkara University has suspended academic activities till October 1 after students held a huge protest and allegedly set a police vehicle on fire over unverified claims that two female students died by suicide on the campus.

The student unrest began after rumours about ghosts on campus, allegedly linked to an alumnus in the hostel.

Since October 2 is a national holiday and the weekend follows, regular classes will resume on October 5, the authorities of the private university located near Rajpura said. However, faculty and staff will continue to report for administrative work, authorities added.

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Chitkara University students protest

The development comes after unverified social media reports claimed that two female students had died by suicide on campus, sparking student protests and clashes at the university. The claims gained traction after students said they heard screams on the night of September 24 and saw two ambulances on the Chitkara University premises.

However, the police said that the claims were baseless and student protesters were unable to provide the names or any other details of the alleged missing students.

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LPU protest

Another private university in Punjab, Lovely Professional University, has also suspended Classes for 10 days over allegations of rape-suicide of a female student in the campus hostel, causing unrest on campus.

Videos circulating online reveal LPU students damaging college property and even blocking the Jalandhar-Phagwara national highway. Later, LPU clarified that all claims circulating online were 'unverified,' with a motive to disturb the academic environment of the private university.