Kolkata, January 6
Saswati Pal, a 20-year-old girl student of Visva Bharati University, was allegedly shot dead by an unidentified youth, who also tried to kill himself at the Ananda Sadan Hostel today, which caused panic and anger among the inmates and the residents of Santiniketan.
The assailant (28) fired at the girl from a point-blank range and shot himself on the head. The girl died on the spot but the youth was taken to Bolpur hospital with severe injuries, where his condition was stated to be critical. Both were the residents of Ghatal in East Midnapore and they knew each other since childhood.
Saswati, a third-year degree student in music, was staying in the hotel at Santiniketan after her admission to Visva Bharati three years ago, where the boy was a frequent visitor.
The youth came to meet Saswati at the hotel today morning during the visiting hours and waited at the visitor’s room with a bag in his hand.
But after finding the security lapses, he slipped into Saswati’s room and locked the room from inside and shot at the girl. Then he shot at himself. The inmates of the hostel narrated the incident to the vice-chancellor Rajat Kati Roy and other officials, who immediately held an urgent meeting for tightening the university’s security.
