A first-year law student allegedly shot his female classmate dead inside a classroom at a private college in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district on Monday morning, before turning the gun on himself.
The incident, which took place at Mai Bhago Law College in Usma village of the district, was captured on the CCTV camera.
The tragedy unfolded just before the day’s lectures were set to begin. According to police, the accused, identified as 20-year-old Prince Raj of Mallian village, entered the classroom and fired a direct shot at the head of Sandeep Kaur after a conversation.
Sandeep Kaur, 19, a resident of Naushehra Pannuan, died on the spot.
Immediately after killing her, Raj is seen turning the pistol on himself.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition, where he remains under medical supervision.
While a motive is yet to be established, Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police (SSP) Surendra Lamba said that a “friendship angle” appears to be the primary lead in the initial probe.
“We have seized the mobile phones of both students and sent them for forensic examination to understand the nature of their relationship and the events leading up to the shooting,” SSP Lamba said.
{{/usCountry}}“We have seized the mobile phones of both students and sent them for forensic examination to understand the nature of their relationship and the events leading up to the shooting,” SSP Lamba said.
{{/usCountry}}Mother questions campus security
The victim, Sandeep Kaur, belonged to a family struggling against the odds. Her mother, Harjinder Kaur, a widow who is the sole breadwinner for her seven daughters, questioned the college’s safety protocols. “I work hard to educate my children so they can have a future. My daughter left for college normally today,” she said. “The question is: How did a student carry a pistol into a classroom? Does the college have any security system at all?”