LUCKNOW: A 23-year-old BSc student was shot dead in broad daylight on the campus of Uday Pratap Autonomous College in Varanasi on Friday. The assailant allegedly fired four rounds at the student, identified as Surya Pratap Singh, a fourth-semester BSc Mathematics student from Ghazipur.
The victim was in the Social Science faculty corridor when Manjeet Chauhan, an MA second-year student, allegedly opened fire on him. Singh fell to the ground as Chauhan and his aides fled the scene.
The victim collapsed in a pool of blood, triggering panic, unrest, large-scale violence, and heavy police deployment across the area.
A friend of the victim said they rushed to the spot upon hearing the gunshots. The accused allegedly pointed a pistol at them as well before fleeing. He is also said to have discarded the weapon in a heap of garbage while escaping.
According to local sources, the incident occurred outside the Arts and Social Sciences Faculty building, where the accused allegedly fired four rounds at the victim, who collapsed on the spot.
A disturbing video of the incident has surfaced, showing the accused standing over the victim and firing multiple shots at close range, even after he had collapsed.
Singh was immediately taken to the trauma centre at Banaras Hindu University, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
According to eyewitnesses, the accused, identified as Manjeet Singh Chauhan, a second-semester MA student and a resident of Chandmari in Varanasi. He was reportedly accompanied by an accomplice named Anuj Kumar.
Fellow students initially mistook the gunshots for an explosion. One student said, “When we came outside, we saw Manjeet firing. When I tried to intervene, he pointed the gun at me. I had to run. By the time I returned, he had escaped.”
Multiple police teams have been formed to trace and arrest the accused, who, along with his accomplice, has been booked for murder.
The incident led to chaos on campus, with angry students vandalising property and raising slogans in protest. Police personnel from multiple stations were deployed, and the campus was turned into a high-security zone.
Authorities sealed the main gate and ordered the closure of more than 150 nearby shops to maintain law and order. A forensic team has collected evidence from the scene.
Meanwhile, Ravindra Jaiswal, minister in charge of Ghazipur, said the incident appeared to have been triggered by a minor dispute.
“I received information about the incident while on my way and immediately spoke to the Police Commissioner. Clear instructions have been given that the accused must be arrested at the earliest, preferably by this evening or late night,” he said.
According to preliminary inputs, the victim and the accused were involved in an altercation over a disagreement related to clothing. “A verbal exchange over dressing escalated into a violent confrontation, ultimately leading to the shooting,” the minister added, noting that the investigation is ongoing.
While police have yet to confirm the exact motive, students claimed the two had an ongoing rivalry, possibly linked to earlier disputes in the hostel.
According to eyewitnesses, an argument broke out earlier in the day, during which the victim allegedly grabbed the accused by the collar. Although the situation was temporarily defused, the accused later returned armed and opened fire.
Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal confirmed that an FIR was being registered and six teams had been formed to arrest the accused.
“All sensitive evidence has been secured. CCTV footage and DVRs have been seized. Initial findings indicate the gunshots were fired during a sudden dispute. We are also examining allegations made by students against the college administration,” he said.