A tense situation unfolded at Chitkara University near Rajpura on Friday night after rumours about a “ghost” on campus and claims of students dying by suicide spread through social media and student groups.
The rumours reportedly centred around claims that female students had died by suicide inside a hostel and that a “ghost” was now troubling students on campus. Police and the university administration, however, said that no such suicide or death had been reported from the university.
The situation escalated after students gathered on campus seeking answers. Police teams reached the university as the crowd grew. According to police, the protest later turned violent, with university property and a government police vehicle being damaged.
According to the university administration, some people had allegedly been knocking on students’ hostel-room doors at night and running away. This reportedly led to fear among students and contributed to rumours about a “ghost” moving around the hostel.
Students also circulated claims on social media about hearing screams on the night of September 24 and seeing two ambulances on the university premises. These claims were linked to the rumours about alleged suicides.
However, police said there was no confirmation of any student death or suicide.
Police said no suicide or death had been reported from the campus by students, their families or university officials
Dr Sharanpreet Goraya, Senior Medical Officer at Civil Hospital, Rajpura, also said that no post-mortem examination involving university students had been conducted at the hospital in recent days.
Amid the rumours, students also claimed that two female students were missing from the university.
DSP Sukhdev Singh, who reached the campus, said police had not received the names, photographs or identifying details of the alleged missing students.
He said police had taken complaints from students and would verify the claims by collecting information from them. If it is established that any student is actually missing, police will investigate the matter as a missing-person case and take action according to law.
Police also assured parents that the situation had been brought under control and that students were safe.
As students demanded answers, the demonstration escalated. Police said there was a clash between students and police personnel when officers attempted to control the situation.
University infrastructure was damaged during the unrest, including window panes, while a government police vehicle was also damaged.
Police said some officers were allegedly manhandled during the incident.
Ajay Kumar, in-charge of the KSM police post in City Rajpura, was also allegedly manhandled by students. Students accused him of being under the influence of alcohol. Following the allegation, he was taken to the university laboratory for a medical examination. The allegation regarding alcohol consumption has not been independently verified.
Police and the university administration said CCTV footage from the campus would be examined to establish what happened, including the incidents involving people allegedly knocking on hostel doors.
The footage will also be reviewed to identify those involved in damaging university property and allegedly assaulting police personnel.
Chitkara University Registrar Col Rakesh Sharma (retd) dismissed the suicide claims as baseless rumours and said the situation on campus was under control.
In a public appeal, the university asked students not to believe or circulate unverified information in private social media groups. The administration said police and local authorities were working with university officials to address students’ concerns.