Murder accused intended to target more students: Eyewitness

Varanasi: An eyewitness to the Mar 20 killing of a BSc student on the Udai Pratap Autonomous College campus has alleged that the attacker intended to target multiple students.A 23-year-old student, Surya Pratap Singh, was shot on the campus by his classmate, Manjit Chauhan, on Friday afternoon. The killing sparked tension and prompted heavy police deployment. The situation was brought under control after the accused was arrested late Friday evening and sent to jail. According to reports, the victim was in the social science faculty corridor when Chauhan allegedly opened fire.Police stated the accused claimed he was frequently harassed by Singh and his friends, which led him to plan the murder. Despite Chauhan's arrest, the campus remains tense, with students and former student leaders holding a candle march on Monday evening. Principal Prof DK Singh said the college, shut since Mar 20, will likely reopen after the Ram Navami holiday. In some viral videos of the shooting, a girl can be seen standing firm near the spot. She later told reporters that Chauhan fired at Singh's chest, then targeted two intervening students before returning to shoot the victim's temple again, ensuring he wouldn't survive. Despite pleas from her, others, and a professor to spare Singh, Chauhan did not relent, she claimed.The girl questioned the college administration's role, asking how Chauhan brought a firearm onto campus and why the principal and security weren't aware of the earlier clash between him and Singh. She also alleged that the principal did not provide his vehicle to rush the victim to a hospital.However, the principal denied these claims, stating his official vehicle was used to transport the injured student to the hospital, accompanied by his driver, a professor, and some students.College authorities stated that Singh's academic performance was poor, and he was asked to fill out back paper exam forms on Mar 20. After filling the form, he left but returned, prompting security to caution him about his behaviour, given his earlier attack on a student on Mar 17.ACP Cantt Apoorv Pandey on Tuesday said that the search for the co-accused in the Singh murder case was continuing. As a precautionary measure, sufficient police force has been deployed in and around the college, he added. During the candle march on Monday, the participants caught a student, who was allegedly uploading posts in support of the accused and handed him over to the police.