Protests break out at Lovely Professional University after student dies by suicide

A first-year student of a private university in Punjab's Phagwara allegedly died by suicide, police said. Later, students of the university held a protest on the campus.

The student, who was from Kerala and was studying Bachelor of Design at Lovely Professional University (LPU), took the extreme step on Tuesday, police said.

Civil hospital authorities said the student was brought dead.

According to a suicide note left by the student, he was facing some personal issues, said Deputy Superintendent of Police, Phagwara, Jaspreet Singh.

A police official said an investigation in the matter is under way.

"We have informed the family of the student in Kerala. We will initiate further action after we record their statement once they reach here," the police official said.

As the news of the student's suicide broke, other students held a protest on the campus.

Students, including girls, came out of their hostels and raised slogans such as "We want justice" while security guards of the university tried to pacify them.

Policemen have been deployed on the university campus.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Phagwara, Lal Vishwas Bains appealed to students not to believe any rumours.

Deputy Inspector General (Jalandhar Range) S Bhoopati, Kapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police Navneet Singh Bains and other police officers reached the spot to take stock of the situation.

Journalists, however, were not allowed to go inside the university campus.

LPU said it is saddened by the unfortunate incident.

"The initial investigation by the police, and the content of the suicide note point towards personal issues of the deceased. The university is providing full support to the authorities for further investigation.

"The University mourns the loss of the student and expresses its condolences to the bereaved family," LPU said in a statement posted on its Twitter handle.

The incident comes close on the heels of recent protests at Chandigarh University in Mohali over allegations levelled by students that a hosteller had recorded several objectionable videos of women students in the common washroom.