(Trigger Warning: Description of violence and mentions of suicide. If you feel suicidal or know someone in distress, please reach out to them with kindness and call these numbers of local emergency services, helplines, and mental health NGOs If you or anyone you know.)
“She said that she wanted a break from the relationship. I asked her if I should at least hope that she will come back. She said no because she wanted to stay single for some time and that might change things for her. I could not accept that.”
This is what said 22-year-old Anuj Kumar -- the Shiv Nadar University student who allegedly shot his classmate Sneha Chaurasiya, and then himself, on Thursday, 18 May -- said in a purported 23-minute video. Anuj allegedly emailed this purported video to some of his classmates before he allegedly took the extreme step.
In the purported video, he claimed to be in a relationship with her and shared details of their relationship. In the video, he claimed that Sneha cheated on him. He also said that she wanted to end the relationship and had complained to the Dean of Shiv Nadar University about it.
‘She Complained to Dean Office, Instigated Others Against Me,’ Claimed Anuj
The incident took place on Thursday, 18 May on university campus in Uttar Pradesh’s Greater Noida. While the woman was rushed to a hospital nearby where she was declared dead on arrival, the man died on the spot, as per the police.
In the purported video, Anuj alleged, “She complained about me to the Dean's office. I shared my story when I was called to the office. I think they believed me but they did not do anything about it. My studies, my mental health was affected, and she did not get any punishment. I told her at least remain a friend... But she said no."
He started the video with:
Hello everyone, my name is Anuj Kumar and this video is about the actions I will take. Watch this video till the end to understand whether my actions are justified. It cannot be justified because what I’m going to do is not justifiable.Anuj in the 23-minute purported video
He further claimed that she had "flipped" the story of their relationship in front of her friends. He claimed, “She told her friends that I was torturing her, that she wanted to get out of the relationship because of some problems but I was not letting her, and I was blackmailing her. She said that I had raised my hand on her and kicked her. This is after everything that I did. I helped her so much."
The University has not released any statement regarding the video yet.
What Happened on Thursday?
The incident took place outside the the dining hall in the University. A 44-second purported video from inside the dining hall shows Anuj attack the woman until she fell on the floor. Soon after this, he allegedly shot himself in his room.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Saad Miya Khan said, “We got to know that an incident took place at Shiv Nadar University where a male student shot a female student. The woman was rushed to Yatharth Hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.” The police said that he had used a country-made pistol to shoot her.
The police said that Anuj hailed from UP’s Amroha and the woman, hailed from Kanpur. Both the students were studying Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) and were in their third year.
(This story is based on claims made by Anuj, and may not necessarily be an accurate representation of the actions of people involved and the nature of the relationship.)
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