Engineering student stabbed to death

CHENNAI: A 27-year-old BBM student from Assam was arrested for killing an engineering student in Kelambakkam on Wednesday.

According to police, Mathurjia (21) of Guwahati, Assam, a final-year computer science engineering student studying in a private university at Padur near Kelambakkam was at a teashop on Wednesday morning when he had a wordy duel with a BBM student, Navjoth Khakoti, also from Assam.

Both of them were staying separately in a private mansion in Padur.

Navjot, who had been attempting to clear his arrears since he finished his final year in 2008, had questioned Mathurjia for poking fun about his health and inability to clear arrear papers.

As the two were arguing in front of the teashop, Navjoth took out his pen knife and stabbed Mathurjia on his chest and abdomen, police said adding that the 21-year-old was admitted to a private hospital in Padur where his succumbed to injuries a few hours later.

“Navjoth stabbed him and we took him to a nearby hospital but he died around 6.30 am,” said Mathurjia’s friend, who is studying in the same university.

The police said that Navjoth was mentally disturbed and was taking treatment for his illness and that the argument began after the students had a booze party on Deepavali.

“The accused was a habitual drinker and was drunk when he had an argument with the engineering student,” said a police official.

Police said that the former was angry that the deceased had spread news about his ill health and his inability to complete his course.

Police, who arrested Navjoth, said that he had told them during inquiry that he only wanted to threaten Mathurjia to stop spreading news about him and never wanted to stab him. “Navjoth does not even know that the engineering student died in hospital. He was mentally disturbed and did not want any news about him to do rounds in his friends’ circle. So, he confronted the 21-yr-old. Mathurjia’s father is a doctor. We have informed their parents and they are on their way,” said C Sylendra Babu, Inspector General of Police, North Zone.