Police at Purdue University said that a student was found dead in a dorm room and that his roommate had been detained and charged with murder.
Preliminary autopsy results revealed that 20-year-old Varun Manish Chheda died from “multiple sharp force traumatic injuries,” as reported by Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello.
Ji Min Sha, 22, Chheda’s roommate, contacted 911 on Wednesday morning to report that Chheda had passed away, according to Purdue University Police Chief Lesley Wiete. According to Wiete, the police arrived in their room in McCutcheon Hall within minutes and arrested Sha.
Wiete said that Sha had been arrested and accused with murder. According to the court documents, he is being detained without bail in the Tippecanoe County Jail.
The police chief has said, “I feel this was unprovoked and senseless,” and an inquiry has been launched.
The status of Sha’s legal counsel is unknown. CNN has contacted the Tippecanoe County Prosecutor’s Office for comment.
According to Tim Doty, director of media and public affairs at Purdue, this is the first murder on campus since 2014. Police said that they did not issue any warnings or alerts about the murder since there was no imminent danger to the community.
On Wednesday, President Mitch Daniels of Purdue University sent a statement to the community in which he mentioned the loss and offered counseling and psychiatric assistance.
“As president of Purdue, but more importantly as a parent myself, I guarantee you that the safety and security of our kids is the single greatest concern on our campus,” stated Daniels. When compared to other cities with a similar population to Purdue (about 60,000 people), the amount of violent and property crime here is quite low.
He went on to say, “Such numbers are of no comfort on a day like today.” When a member of the Purdue community passes away, it is felt by everyone.