Patna University student beaten to death by masked men; main suspect arrested

Patna: A day after a 22-year-old student was brutally beaten to death by masked men on the campus of a college in Patna, police arrested the main suspect and revealed that an altercation over a dandiya event last year triggered the fatal attack.

Harsh Raj, a third-year student of Vocational English at BN College, was at Sultanganj Law College to take an exam when he was assaulted by masked men armed with sticks. Despite police rushing him to a hospital, he succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

City SP (East) Bharat Soni confirmed, "This heinous crime saw anti-social elements attack Harsh Raj so severely that he later died. We formed a Special Investigation Team and have arrested the main accused, Chandan Yadav, a final-year student of Patna College, who has confessed to the crime. We are actively working to apprehend the other suspects."

The police linked the attack to a fight at a dandiya event during Dussehra the previous year, which had led to ongoing tension. Soni added, "This incident is a clear case under Section 302 (murder). The accused admitted that his ego was hurt, which led to the planning of this attack."

Grim footage from the campus shows the attackers repeatedly striking the victim with sticks. Police have registered a case and are scrutinizing CCTV footage to identify all involved.

Bihar minister Ashok Choudhary posted a photo with Harsh and condemned the attack, stating, "I'm in touch with the authorities. Those responsible will be arrested soon. The government stands with the family during this crisis."

The incident has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition, with RJD's Tejashwi Yadav lambasting the Nitish Kumar-led BJP-JDU government. "This is extremely unfortunate. The law and order situation has deteriorated since the NDA government took over. The guilty must be swiftly arrested and face strict punishment," he said, accusing the BJP of failing to act as they would have if the roles were reversed.

Meanwhile, Patna Police announced the arrest of Chandan Kumar, a final-year student of Patna College and resident of Bihta, Patna. Kumar, who resided in Jackson hostel of Patna College, confessed during interrogation to planning the murder of Harsh Raj. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra stated, "Chandan Kumar is the prime accused. His further interrogation is ongoing."

According to the police, the altercation over the Dussehra Dandiya event had escalated over time, leading to the fatal attack. Following the incident, certain groups of students staged protests across the city and outside Patna University. In response, a large number of security personnel have been deployed to maintain order.

The police have launched a manhunt for the other accused, and Patna University has postponed all examinations in light of the incident. The investigation continues to uncover the full details behind this tragic event.