A first-year law student shot his classmate and then pulled the trigger on himself at a private college in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district on Monday morning. The attacker, identified as Prince Raj (20) of Mallian village, is critical and is under medical supervision, according to an HT report, while the victim, Sandeep Kaur (20), died on the spot.
A chilling video, recorded from the CCTV camera of the classroom of the Mai Bhago Law College in Usma village, shows Raj and Sandeep together reportedly before a lecture began.
Sandeep Kaur is seen initially walking away from Prince Raj and going to the front of the classroom to a group of other students.
Prince Raj follows her to the front, following which they have a conversation, and a third classmate then comes and walks to the last bench with Raj. This classmate is then seen turning around and calling for Sandeep Kaur too, who walks to them after a moment.
Sandeep Kaur and the third classmate then take a seat at the last bench, while Prince Raj occupies the bench ahead of them. The three can be seen talking thereafter.
Within moments, Prince Raj gets up and takes something out of his bag, which is later revealed to be a weapon.
In a span of three seconds, the 20-year-old shoots Sandeep Kaur and then himself, as the third classmate looks on horrified.
Students are then seen filing in after hearing the gunshot, and then rush out of the classroom after seeing Sandeep and Raj lying on the floor. The clip ends there.
‘Friendship angle’ primary lead in initial probe
While the motive for the shooting is yet to be established, Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police (SSP) Surendra Lamba said the “friendship angle” appears to be the primary lead.
The tragedy unfolded right before the day’s lectures were set to begin, and led to the death of Sandeep, a resident of Naushehra Pannuan.
The mobile phones of both the students have been sent for forensic examination, to understand the nature of their relationship and the events leading up to the shooting, SSP Lamba said.
Following the incident, Sandeep’s mother Harjinder Kaur questioned how a student could carry a weapon inside the educational institution.
Harjinder Kaur, a widow, is the sole breadwinner for her family.
“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?” she said.
