Tarn Taran, Punjab: A law student was shot dead inside her classroom in Tarn Taran on Monday morning after repeatedly rejecting a classmate’s proposal, police said. The accused, identified as Prince Raj Singh, later turned the gun on himself after opening fire on the victim, Sandeep Kaur.

According to investigators, the shooting took place around 9:17 am when Sandeep was seated on the last bench with another student. CCTV footage shows Prince sitting beside them before suddenly pulling out a pistol from his bag and shooting her in the forehead. Moments later, he fired at himself, triggering panic inside the classroom.

Harassment allegations ignored

According to the victim's family, Prince had allegedly been harassing Sandeep for nearly three months, proposing to her repeatedly despite her refusals. Reports suggest he had even visited her home with a proposal days earlier, which she again rejected.

Sandeep’s family claimed the matter was earlier brought to the attention of the college authorities, but no disciplinary action was taken.

Family recounts harrowing wait

Harjinder Kaur said she received a call from the college around 9:30 am, informing her that her daughter was injured. When the family rushed to the campus, the gate leading to the classrooms was locked.

After pleading for nearly 15 minutes, they were allowed inside and found her lying lifeless on the last bench of the classroom.

The family said they had not filed a police complaint earlier because Sandeep had recently gotten engaged and they did not want to affect her reputation.

Weapon belonged to accused’s father

The pistol used in the shooting was a licensed firearm belonging to the accused’s father, Jagjit Singh, an Army personnel currently posted in Jammu. The accused had been living with his mother and sister in Tarn Taran district.

An investigation is underway to determine how the weapon was accessed and whether any security lapses occurred on campus.