‘No rape at Campus 10’; Punjab College dismisses ‘fake’ reports

Amid violent protests over the alleged rape of a female student at Campus 10 of Punjab Group of Colleges (PGC) in Lahore, the institute has released an official statement rubbishing all claims regarding the incident.

“We would like to address the recent false claims circulating on social media regarding an alleged incident at one of the campuses of Punjab Colleges.

Following a thorough and impartial investigation by law enforcement authorities, we can confirm that no such incident has been reported to the police or our campus administration, and no student, parent, or guardian has raised concerns,” said a statement issued on Monday by PGC.

The statement said that despite the lack of credible evidence supporting these allegations, “We remain fully committed to transparency and will continue to work closely with the authorities to ensure a fair and thorough process.”

“At Punjab Group of Colleges, the safety and well-being of our students and staff are of the utmost importance. We have implemented strict security protocols that are continuously monitored and updated to ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone on campus.”

In the statement, the college also urged its students, parents, and the wider community to avoid following or sharing “news from unverified channels”, as it may cause confusion or unnecessary concern.

According to earlier reports, a first-year student at PGC Campus 10 was allegedly raped by a security guard named Aun in the college basement last week. The incident occurred when the student was accidentally locked in the basement during lunch break.

“Her cries for help were heard by a male teacher, leading to her discovery. The guard fled the scene and went into hiding,” read a social media post that went viral, prompting strong reactions from students of PGC as well as the general public.

The guard also had a history of inappropriate behavior towards female staff members, the post had claimed, as netizens sought action against the accused and demanded better security for students across both government and private education institutions.

On Sunday, growing demands for the provision of justice to the victim also led to the arrest of the suspect.

In a statement, Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Faisal Kamran said a special team was formed to nab the suspect and investigate the matter further. He, however, said that the reports of the incident were only circulating on social media, and neither the victim nor her family had yet come forward.

An FIR [First Information Report] related to the incident has not yet been registered, the statement said, adding that neither the relevant police station, 15 police helpline, nor the college administration had received any report of the incident.

The spokesperson suggested that the unconfirmed reports on social media may be an attempt to “damage the reputation of the college”, requesting that the public refrain from commenting on social media until the facts are revealed.

“The suspect is being interrogated to verify the social media news,” the statement said, adding that despite the incident going viral on social media, no evidence had yet emerged regarding the incident.

Journalist Umar Cheema shared on X (formerly Twitter) that a girl’s father visited the police station with her X-ray reports, claiming that she had stopped attending school due to a bone fracture.

Protests turn violent

Meanwhile, with reports of the incident spreading like wildfire, students from different campuses of PGC took to the roads on Monday, demanding justice for the victim.

According to social media reports, the students were met with heavy resistance from Punjab Police.

A viral video also showed students pelting stones at police officials who had arrived at Campus 10 to meet with the college administration.

Unconfirmed reports also claimed at least 27 were injured when police baton-charged the protesting students.

The rescue team said the wounded students were provided medical treatment.

Notably, the registration of the college was suspended till further orders.