Campus horror: JNU student attacked with axe battles for life

Campus killing has reared its ugly head in one of India’s top universities.

A 23-year-old student of Jawaharlal Nehru University attacked a woman friend inside a classroom with an axe, leaving her severely injured before taking his own life by consuming poison and slitting his throat on Wednesday. The incident took place at JNU's School of Languages at around 11 am, which sent shockwaves among the students of the prestigious university.

The student, identified as Aakash died a few hours later in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences trauma centre while the woman, identified as Roshni, 22, is battling for life in Safdarjung Hospital, police said. They said Akash had an argument with Roshni following which he attacked her with an axe, inflicting serious injuries including on the head.

"Akash and Roshni were students of the School of Language in JNU. The incident took place in room number 213 of the university at around 11. After a heated argument between the two, the boy first hit her multiple times using an axe and then attempted to kill himself by consuming Salphas tablets and slitting his throat," said a senior police officer. The police claimed it to be a case of one-sided love.

They have recovered a knife, a Salphas bottle and the axe used in the crime. A country-made pistol was also recovered from the spot.

Later in the day, Roshni was operated upon and was shifted to the intensive care unit of the Safdarjung hospital. Hospital sources said Assistant Professor of Neuro Surgery Dr K B Shankar along with a team of doctors operated upon her for almost two hours after which she has been shifted to the ICU. She is on ventilator and her condition is critical. She had suffered severe head injury with "depressed fracture", they said adding the doctors operated upon her and removed the fractured fragments and her condition is being constantly monitored.

In a statement, the JNU administration condemned the incident and said every possible step is being taken to ensure that such incidents are not repeated. "A preliminary fact finding committee consisting of six members has been formed to investigate into the incident. The vice chancellor also held a meeting with various deans of the university to discuss the matter, said Poonam S Kudaisya, JNU's public relations officer.

The university appeals to the parents to keep calm and help us ensure that the campus remains safe for everybody, she said. Shocked students at the university have demanded better security. "It is a very shocking incident. We need better security," said a JNU student.