At least 27 people were injured after students clashed with a college’s security team and then with the police in Lahore during a protest against the alleged on-campus rape of a girl, rescue officials said on Monday.

A day prior, a security guard was arrested after news related to the alleged rape of the student went viral on social media. According to a police statement, the suspect had been arrested and an investigation was underway.

It, however, added that a first information report (FIR) of the incident had not been registered as the family members of the victim had not come forward to lodge it.

Enraged by the alleged incident, students mobilised on social media and staged protests outside different colleges in the city today. During one of the protests, clashes broke out between the protesters and the security team of a college. Later on, the students also clashed with the police, with both clashes resulting in casualties.

According to a statement issued by Rescue 1122, a clash broke out between security personnel and students at the Hafeez Centre Punjab College Campus.

“Twenty-seven people were injured during the clash and rescue personnel provided first aid to them,” the statement said. “One student was seriously injured and was transferred to the Services Hospital Lahore.”

Rights group Aurat March criticised the actions of the authorities and questioned the silence of Punjab’s officials.

“How long until members of the Punjab Government take action against this atrocity? We demand answers from the government officials,” it said.

Probe launched

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Faisal Kamran said the police were trying to locate the victim and her family so that the investigation could continue.

“So far, claims related to the alleged rape that went viral on social media could not be verified,” he said. “Investigations are underway.”

“The protesting students had demanded the custody of the college principal following the alleged incident,” DIG Kamran explained. “The superintendent of police (SP) Model Town and assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Model Town have evacuated the principal.”

He also said that the SP and ASP, along with police personnel, had been injured due to stone pelting by students during the protest.

“A few students suffered minor injuries after they clashed with the college’s security team and were given first aid,” he said, adding that the police were constantly in touch with students as well as the college administration.

He further said that all hospital records and college CCTV footage had been checked, but the incident could not confirmed.

“Based on the probe so far, the alleged victim could not identified and efforts to find her and her family are underway,” he said.

The police were talking to the protesting students but no one was able to identify the alleged victim, he added.

Kamran said that he was “personally monitoring all the operations”, adding that the Lahore police followed the instructions of the Punjab government and did not act harshly with the students.

“As soon as the evidence is found, legal action will be initiated immediately and in case of any kind of development, everyone will be informed immediately.”

We will ensure justice: education minister

The Punjab education minister Rana Sikandar Hayat arrived at Punjab College and assured the protesting students of justice.

“Action will be taken against the principal and the college administration if allegations related to the deletion of pictures and video evidence are proved,” he said.

“And if it comes to sealing the college and cancelling its registration, we will not hesitate,” he added.

Hayat instructed the police not to use baton charges against the protestors after the students complained of police violence.

The education minister showed support for the students and said that they would not be removed from the college even if the administration had threatened them.

College registration suspended after alleged incident

Meanwhile, the Punjab government suspended the registration for the college in a notification dated Oct 14, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com.

The Directorate of Public Instruction (Colleges), Punjab, issued the suspension of registration certification for Punjab College for Women “till further orders”.

On the other hand, a statement issued by the Punjab Group of Colleges stated that no rape incident was reported citing a “thorough and impartial” investigation by law enforcement.

The statement addressed the “false claims circulating on social media” and said that the college remained “committed to transparency despite the lack of credible evidence supporting the allegations.”

“We have implemented strict security protocols […] to ensure a safe and secure environment,” it added.

In another statement, the principal of Punjab College, Campus 10, said that legal action would be taken against the “unsubstantiated negative propaganda” on social media.

No police report registered yet: Azma Bokhari

Responding to the incident, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said that the Punjab chief minister, Maryam Nawaz, was actively receiving updates on the incident and urged anyone with verified information on the case to share it with the government.

“No girl has reported to the Punjab police so far,” Bokhari said. “Today, a name was highlighted and inquiries were made at the homes of all girls with that name, but no affected girl was found; all of them denied it.

“CM Maryam Nawaz is receiving updates on this matter continuously,” Bokhari announced. “Instead of politicising the plight of innocent girls, if anyone has verified information or knows a victim, then do share it with the Punjab government.”

The minister, expressing profound grief over the incident, said that the guard accused of the offence has been in police custody since yesterday.

She emphasised that even if identified, people should care about the victim’s family and refrain from displaying posters or pictures of them.

Growing incidents of sexual violence

Earlier this year, a 2023 report released by the Sustainable Social Development Organisation revealed that throughout the year, up to 10,201 cases of violence against women were registered under section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

This was a 14.5 per cent increase from the 8,787 cases reported in 2022.

Lahore saw 1,464 cases, followed by Sheikhupura 1,198 and Kasur 877 cases. The report stated that on average, 28 women faced some form of violence every day in Punjab in 2023.

A total of 6,624 rape cases were registered in 2023, meaning that one woman was raped every 45 minutes, the report said. Faisalabad topped the list with 728 cases, followed by Lahore (721) and Sargodha (398).

Up to 626 women were kidnapped, 120 were killed in the name of honour, and 20 were trafficked in 2023. Lahore, Faisalabad and Rahim Yar Khan were among the hot spot districts for these crimes.