Patiala, September 28, 2026: Chitkara University near Rajpura in Punjab has suspended regular academic activities from September 28 to October 1 following student unrest triggered by unverified social media claims about two female students on campus.

The university has declared the four-day period as “non-teaching working days” due to administrative reasons. Faculty and staff have been asked to continue reporting for duty as usual.

Regular classes are expected to resume on October 5, as October 2 is a national holiday and October 3-4 fall over the weekend.

What Triggered the Protest?

The unrest began after unverified messages and videos circulated on social media claiming that two female students were missing and had allegedly died by suicide on the university campus.

Students reportedly said they had heard screams near a girls’ hostel and had seen ambulances on the premises. These claims later spread rapidly through student WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms.

However, police and university authorities have rejected the claims.

Police Say No Death or Missing Student Reported

Patiala Police said that no death or suicide involving a student had been reported from the campus.

According to police, students making the allegations were unable to provide the names, photographs, roll numbers or other identifying details of the allegedly missing students.

Medical authorities also said that no recent post-mortem involving a Chitkara University student had been conducted.

Police have initiated an inquiry into how the rumours originated and spread.

Protest Escalated Into Clashes

The protest reportedly intensified on Friday night as hundreds of students gathered on the campus demanding clarification from the university administration.

During the unrest, sections of the crowd allegedly damaged university property and police vehicles. Police personnel were also reportedly confronted during the disturbance.

Additional security personnel were later deployed in and around the university campus.

University Rejects Rumours

Chitkara University has maintained that the social media claims were unverified.

The university said that ambulances seen near the girls’ hostel were connected to a student returning from hospital and were not related to any death or suicide.

Officials also denied speculation surrounding a man seen near the hostel, saying he was visiting his daughter and had no connection with the rumours.

Classes Suspended as Precaution

Following the unrest, the university decided to suspend regular teaching activities until October 1.

The decision is aimed at allowing the administration to manage the situation while maintaining essential institutional operations.

Faculty and staff will continue to work during the period, while students will return to regular classes from October 5.

Punjab Police Probe Underway

Punjab Police are also examining the recent unrest at Chitkara University and a separate protest at Lovely Professional University.

Authorities are investigating the causes of the incidents and whether any connection exists between the two episodes.

For now, police and university authorities have urged students and parents to rely only on verified information and avoid spreading unconfirmed claims on social media.

Key Highlights

• Chitkara University classes suspended from September 28 to October 1.
• Regular classes are expected to resume on October 5.
• Faculty and staff will continue reporting for work.
• Protests began after unverified social media claims about two female students.
• Police say no student death or disappearance has been reported.
• Campus property and police vehicles were damaged during the unrest.
• Police are investigating the origin and spread of the rumours.