CHANDIGARH: A Zambian student from Chandigarh University allegedly murdered a Tanzanian student from the same university and died by suicide in the Punjab Police custody by hanging himself.
Police sources said that 24-year-old Saviour Chikopela of Zambia on the intervening night of November 20 and 21 allegedly committed suicide in the police lock-up at the Sunny Enclave Police Post in Kharar near Chandigarh by hanging himself using thin nylon rope inside the jail bar.
The police rushed him to the Kharar Civil Hospital around 12.10 am where he was declared brought dead.
He was arrested yesterday at 11.38 pm on the charges of allegedly murdering another foreign student Nuru Mari hailing from Tanzania who was his batch mate.
The police have remained tightlipped on the incident and even kept the gates of the police station closed on Thursday morning.
A case under section 103 BNS dated November 20 has been registered at Police Station City against Saviour.
Sources further said that the girl Nuru Mari was found dead in Kharar. Police investigated and found out that the alleged accused Saviour Chikopela murdered her. The police traced the CCTV footage of where Nuru lived and also spoke to the students of the African community thus cracking the case.
Confirming the development, Senior Superintendent of Police of SAS Nagar, Deepak Pareek confirmed that a student was found dead. Initially, police suspected suicide; however, murder was confirmed after the investigation.
"The accused student was arrested yesterday late evening but he committed suicide in the police lock-up. The investigations are going in this matter," he said.
Meanwhile, in another incident, Chandigarh Police arrested two students including a Panjab University student for the death of an outsider in the boys’ hostel number 7 of the university on Monday night following drug overdose.
Those arrested are 21-year old Aryan Parbhat, a student at the University Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management, hailing from Banjar village of Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh and 24-year old Parikshit Kaushal belonging to Madhawani village in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh. He is an ex-student of the university. The deceased also a resident of Kullu, had been staying in hostel number 7 as a guest of his friend.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)