BAREILLY: The mysterious death of a 22-year-old MBBS student in Shahjahanpur last year has been confirmed as murder, with police arresting his classmate on Friday. The victim, Kushagra Pratap Singh, a second-year student from Gorakhpur, was found dead on October 6, 2024, behind his hostel building.
Initially, the college administration claimed he had been drinking and may have fallen from the terrace. Dissatisfied, Kushagra’s father appealed to CM Yogi Adityanath, leading to the case being handed over to the Bareilly Crime Branch in November 2024.
Crime Branch SHO Sanjay Dheer revealed glaring lapses in the earlier probe. “Shahjahanpur police never inspected the terrace. The autopsy skipped key injuries on the head, kidney, hands, and ribs,” he said.
Investigations exposed a financial dispute between Kushagra and his classmate Viraj Patel, son of a radiologist at Prayagraj’s Motilal Nehru Medical College. Patel had allegedly taken ₹5.5 lakh from Kushagra for investment but handed it to a friend who absconded, sparking repeated clashes.
On the night of the incident, witnesses saw Patel roaming with a stick. The next morning, Kushagra’s body was discovered. Months later, a blood-stained stick was recovered from Patel’s room, with forensic tests confirming it as the murder weapon.
Patel was arrested in Shahjahanpur on Friday evening and produced in court Saturday, where he was remanded to 14-day judicial custody. “Evidence clearly proves it was murder. The accused is now in jail,” said SSP Anurag Arya.
