Patna College Student Beaten to Death by Masked Men: One Arrested
A tragic incident has shocked Patna as a 22-year-old student from BN College was brutally beaten to death by masked men. Harsh Raj was attacked by 10-15 men armed with sticks and bricks when he went to take an exam at Sultanganj Law College on Monday. The incident has triggered widespread protests and raised serious concerns about the law and order situation in Bihar.
On Tuesday evening, police arrested a student from Patna College in connection with the murder.
“We received information that Harsh Raj, a third-year Vocational English student at BN College, had gone to Sultanganj Law College to take an exam. According to some students, 10-15 masked men started beating him with sticks. Raj’s friends took him to PMCH emergency ward, where he died during treatment. We are questioning people, and a forensic team and dog squad are at the spot. Our technical team and officials from nearby police stations, including ASP (City), are investigating the case. Based on the evidence, action will be taken,” said City SP (East), Bharat Soni.
The incident occurred inside the campus auditorium. While there is no CCTV footage, police accessed videos recorded by those present. Soni confirmed that the victim was also assaulted with bricks.
“We have arrested Chandan Kumar, a student of Patna College. He confessed that during a college event in August last year, two groups of Patna University students had clashed, which led to Monday’s incident,” he said, adding that other suspects have been identified.
Harsh’s father, Ajit Kumar, who lives in Vaishali, also referred to the campus event from last year. “Harsh was preparing for the upcoming Patna University Students’ Union elections for the position of president. He was tense about this. He had also organized a dandiya night in August and had a scuffle with some people then,” Ajit said. Although the PUSU elections are not contested on party lines, political parties do lend their support.
Bihar’s Rural Works Department Minister, Ashok Choudhary, expressed his condolences on X (formerly Twitter). “The news of Harsh’s murder, a promising student of BN College, is extremely sad. This barbaric act cannot be condemned enough. I am in touch with the local administration, and the culprits will be arrested as soon as possible. They will not be spared. We stand with the bereaved family in this hour of grief,” he wrote.
RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav criticized the current state government, saying, “Law and order have deteriorated since the NDA government came to power. They have no control over governance.”
This tragic incident has highlighted the urgent need for improved security and governance in Bihar, especially in educational institutions. The community hopes for swift justice and better measures to ensure such incidents do not recur.
