The killing of a 22-year-old medical student in his paying guest flat in Patiala, sending shockwaves through the student community, has led to a major investigation by the police.
Kamal Mittal, a second year student at Government Medical College Patiala from Bareta, in the Mansa district of Punjab, was identified as the victim. Police authorities have stated that it happened at the New Lal Bagh area where Mittal was living along with students in a rented out PG.
The killing was uncovered late Monday evening when friends and acquaintances called, but were unable to reach him multiple times during the day. They worried about his silence so they went in to his room and found his blood-soaked body in it.
Preliminary investigations suggest the victim was stabbed multiple times in the neck, causing fatal injuries. Police suspect it was an extremely violent and deliberate attack.
The suspect was caught on CCTV footage from the nearby area as he appeared to be running away from the locality with the blood stains on his clothes, investigators said. Police teams from Civil Lines Police Station and the New Officer Colony Police Post rushed to the spot without any delay along with forensic experts to gather evidence.
A total of four students were in the building and all occupants are being questioned in the investigation, authorities said. Police have been probing all angles of interest from personal rivalries to other motives.
The incident caused panic and anger in the neighborhood, with many people outside the building, and police deploying extra personnel to keep order. Police are in the process of tracking down and charging the accused.