Lahore police on Monday clamped down on students from Punjab College who were protesting in response to an alleged sexual assault of a first-year female student by a college security guard. The police reported on Sunday that the guard had been taken into custody.
A statement from Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Faisal Kamran’s spokesperson noted that a special team was promptly formed to capture the suspect and investigate the matter once initial reports emerged on social media.
However, no First Information Report (FIR) has been filed yet, as the victim and her family have not come forward. DIG Kamran stated that further action will be taken if they lodge a formal complaint.
On Monday, protesters blocked Canal Road and staged a demonstration near Muslim Town Mor, prompting a large deployment of Punjab police to disperse the crowd. During the protest, one student was injured by a college guard, and a female student’s condition deteriorated, both requiring hospitalization.
In response to the college administration’s denial of any recent incident, angered protesters stormed the campus, setting furniture on fire and chanting slogans.
Reports of the alleged assault circulated widely on social media, with various accounts claiming the incident occurred a week prior in the basement of Punjab College Campus 10 in Lahore’s Gulberg area. Despite mounting pressure, the victim’s family has yet to report the incident.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Education Department suspended the registration of the private college’s Gulberg campus.
