Student lynched on Law College campus of Patna University

Final year student lynched in Patna Law College campus, sparking investigation and cancellation of ongoing exams by university.

A final year student was lynched in the Law College campus of Patna by more than 10 unidentified people using hockey sticks, iron, bricks and sticks under Sultanganj police station on Monday, May 27, 2024.

The deceased has been identified as Harsh Raj, an undergraduate student of Functional English Vocational Course studying in B N College. According to the police, as soon as he came out after taking the exams, more than 10 people attacked him near the auditorium of the Law College campus in which the 22-year-old student received major head injury. He was taken to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) where he was declared dead.

The deceased was a resident of Vaishali district and was staying in a rented house in Boring Canal Road locality.

His friend Bahu Kumar who was present on the spot said, “When we came outside after the exam around more than 10 people attacked him. I was also hit by sticks but I ran away, Harsh was also running away from the spot but he got hit by a tree and he fell down after which the mob caught him. Most of the people have covered their faces to hide their identity.”

Requesting anonymity, one of his friends said that that possible reason of his lynching could be the decision to contesting Patna University Student’s Union (PUSU) election scheduled later this year. He was very active in the social cause as well and helped several people during the Corona period. He also used to run an organisation in the name of Lok Nayak Yuva Parishad and has a very good hold among the students.

Police have lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against more than one dozen people on the complaint of his father Ajit Kumar who is a journalist in a local newspaper. Mr. Kumar also said that he has asked his son not to contest the PUSU election but he was adamant to do so.

He was continuously campaigning in Samastipur for the (Ram Vilas) candidate Shambhavi Kunal Choudhary in the Lok Sabha election.