MBA student killed, another critical in shooting incident inside Greater Noida hostel

NOIDA: An MBA student was killed and another critically injured after they allegedly shot each other inside a private hostel room at the off-campus of Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) in Greater Noida on Tuesday, police said. The incident took place in the Vidya Vihar hostel at Knowledge Park 3, where both students of the private management institute stayed.

However, police said that the firing was not linked to any clash between student groups. According to officials, the room was found locked from the inside, and the firing appears to have been carried out in private.

In an official statement, the Knowledge Park Police said, "Prima facie, it has emerged that the two were close friends and stayed together most of the time. One of them shot the other and then shot himself. There is no truth to reports suggesting multiple rounds of firing or a clash between student groups."

Police said a guard first raised the alarm after hearing gunshots. When the hostel warden attempted to open the room, it was found bolted from the inside. On peering through the back window, the two students were found lying in a pool of blood.

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Reports of group clashes are 'baseless'

The victims were identified as Deepak Kumar (22), a resident of Andhra Pradesh and MBA student, and Devansh Chauhan (23) of Agra, pursuing PGDM. While Deepak was found dead, Devansh was rushed to a private hospital where he is undergoing treatment, police said.

A licensed pistol, four live cartridges, two used cartridges, a phone, and a laptop were recovered from the room, which has since been sealed. The body of the deceased was sent for post-mortem examination, officials added.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida), Sudhir Kumar, also said, "They were known to be good friends. For reasons yet to be ascertained, one fired at the other before turning the gun on himself. Reports of group clashes are baseless," he said.

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Police maintained that investigations are ongoing to ascertain the exact sequence of events and the motive. There was no official response from the college or the hostel, both of which are private but separately operated, over the incident.

BIMTECH "deeply saddened"

The centre for corporate communication at BIMTECH expressed deep sorrow over the incident. "We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident involving the alleged use of a firearm that took place at an off-campus hostel. The matter is currently under investigation by the police authorities, and the institution is extending its full cooperation to ensure that the truth comes out and justice is delivered. We are also in constant touch with the families of the two affected students and are providing them with every possible support in this difficult time," it said in an official statement

Asserting that the well-being of student community remains its priority, the institute added that it is arranging counselling sessions to help students cope with the "tragic" incident and to reassure them of a safe and supportive environment.

With inputs from PTI.

The content has been updated to add BIMTECH statement.