Ghost Rumour at Chitkara University Sparks Late-Night Protests in Patiala
A viral 'ghost' video triggered protests at Chitkara University in Patiala, with students alleging a death and missing girls, claims denied by officials.
A rumour about a ghost on campus spiralled into a night of unrest at Chitkara University in Punjab's Patiala district on Friday, as hundreds of students took to the streets and a police patrol vehicle was damaged.
The trouble began after a video claiming a ghostly presence at the university spread on social media. Students alleged that a female student had died by suicide on campus and that her spirit was haunting residents of the girls' hostel. Some said they had heard screams from the hostel.
The university rejected the claims outright. In an official statement, it said no suicide or death had occurred at the hostel and described the social media posts as false and lacking any factual basis.
According to the university, an ambulance had reached the hostel in the early hours of Thursday for a student who had returned from hospital. It said there was no death or suicide connected to that incident.
The institution also addressed posts claiming that a 'Pandit Ji' had visited the girls' hostel. It confirmed the visit took place but said the facts were being misrepresented online. The man had come at around 3 pm to meet his daughter, a student at the university, and his presence had nothing to do with any alleged death or suicide, the statement said.
The university urged students not to rely on unverified reels, posts or messages, warning that such content can cause unnecessary distress among students and their families and create an inaccurate impression of events on campus.
Senior police officers visited the campus to calm the situation. They said students were claiming that two female students were missing, but no one could identify who was missing or provide any of the girls' names.
"We have met students here and received their complaint. But nobody knows who is missing," an officer said, adding that the claim of two missing girls was a rumour.
Police said they had received a complaint from students and would investigate it, verifying each student to determine whether anyone was actually missing. Necessary action would follow if any student was found unaccounted for, the officer said.