A 23-year-old BSc student was shot dead in broad daylight inside the campus of Uday Pratap College on Friday, triggering panic and unrest among students.
The incident occurred outside the Arts and Social Sciences Faculty building, where the accused allegedly fired four rounds at the victim, identified as Surya Pratap Singh, a resident of Ghazipur. He collapsed on the spot after being hit by the bullets.
Singh was immediately taken to the trauma centre at Banaras Hindu University, where doctors declared him dead.
According to eyewitnesses, the accused, identified as Manjeet, a second-year BA student and a resident of Chandmari in Varanasi, also threatened other students at gunpoint before fleeing.
He reportedly discarded the pistol in a garbage heap while escaping. Witnesses claimed that one or two accomplices may have been present.
A fellow student said they initially mistook the gunshots for an explosion.
“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,” the student said.
The incident caused 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 begun its investigation.
The motive behind the killing remains unclear, and police are actively searching for the accused and his associates.