Varun Manish Chheda, 20 from Indianapolis was killed by “multiple traumatizing injuries with sharp force,” according to a preliminary autopsy. Roommate Ji Min “Jimmy” Sha is being held being held.
The Purdue University student was arrested on suspicion of murder Wednesday. He was suspect of killing his roommate in the nighttime at an apartment on campus of West Lafayette, Indiana, the chief of police at the school told.
Purdue University Police Chief Lesley Wiete and the Tippecanoe County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased student to be Varun Manish Chheda, a 20-year-old an Indianapolis-based senior Indianapolis who was studying data science.
Ji Min “Jimmy” Sha, student majoring in cybersecurity at the junior level and an foreign student studying in Korea who called 911 at about 12.45 a.m. Wednesday to inform authorities about this death. Wiete told a news conference on Wednesday morning.
The details of the call were not revealed. Authorities say the incident occurred in a room on 1st floor in McCutcheon Hall.
Sha was booked into prison in Tippecanoe County Jail Wednesday afternoon for an accusation of murder according to jail reports. There was no bond set, according to records.
Chheda passed away from “multiple traumas with sharp force,” and the manner of death was murder, according to the preliminary autopsy results.
The autopsy’s final findings are still awaiting toxicology reports according to the coroner’s office.
Arunabh Sinha former Chheda’s best friend, revealed to NBC News that Chheda had been playing and talking to friends online via Discord at night on Tuesday when they suddenly heard shouting during the conversation.
Sinha was not with his pals at the time, but his friends informed him that they had heard about the attack but didn’t know the details of what transpired. They awoke on Wednesday morning to learn of his death.
Wiete reported that Sha 22-year-old was arrested within minutes of the 911 call. She was then taken to the police station for further investigation.
Video uploaded Wednesday shows university police taking Sha out of a police vehicle, while reporters await him. After he’s taken into an office the reporter asks Sha, “Can you tell us the reason you committed this crime?”
Sha takes a breath for a couple of seconds and then appears to say “I am a family man.” Then, he repeats the phrase.
Wiete did not talk about a motive or specifics about the weapons used involved in the murder. She claimed that the 911 call was made from the room in which was the only room Chheda Sha and Chheda Sha had been in at that moment of the incident.
“I think this incident was unprovoked and insanity,” she said, noting that neither of her roommates was awake when the incident occurred.
Following Chheda’s death in the school, officials claimed there was no threat to the school community.
School mourns
Chheda’s murder is Purdue’s only on campus homicide for over eight years. Police declared.
Andrew F. Boldt, 21, from West Bend, Wisconsin, was killed by a gunshot on the 21st of January. 21st, 2014 in the basement in the building for electrical engineers, the school stated in a statement following the shooting.
the University’s president Mitch Daniels said Chheda’s death was “as tragic as we could imagine occurring in our school,” adding that “our hearts and thoughts go to everyone who are affected by this tragic incident.”
Around 50, 000 undergrad and undergraduate students are enrolled in the fall semester According to Purdue website.
Residents’ hall staff as well as the school’s counselling and psychological services provide assistance to students as he stated in a statement issued Wednesday morning.
Daniels assured the crowd his students that Purdue is secure. “Compared with Purdue’s cities’ total population (approximately 60,000 in total) we are able to experience just a small fraction of the violent and property crimes that occur in other cities,” he said.
“Such figures are not of any consolation in a situation like that,” he added. “A loss on our campus and within our Purdue family is a tragedy that affects each one of us profoundly.”
Remembering Chheda
Arunabh Sinha attended school together with Chheda over 12 years, and claimed that their families were acquaintances. He stated that Chheda was currently entering his 3rd year at college and was graduating earlier.
Varun Manish Chheda.
Varun Manish Chheda.WTHR
Sinha recalled Chheda as “a very smart and intelligent person always at the at the top of his class, at the top of the Science Bowl, chess club and the team. He was extremely humble about the whole thing.” Not just was he an excellent scholar, but the “always was a good person and always did things correctly, he did not believe in taking shortcuts,” Sinha said.
Chheda took first place in an official Spanish competition in the years 2015 and 2016, and was awarded top marks in the State Science Olympiad Competition at Indiana University in 2015 for his presentation in the environmental chemistry section according to Sycamore School, where he was a student from kindergarten until eighth year, NBC affiliate WTHR of Indianapolis said.
In 2015, the Sycamore team from Sycamore placed eighth in Sycamore’s National Science Bowl Competition in Washington D.C., the school announced, as reported by WTHR. The following year, the team was second in the competition, Sycamore said.
Following the loss in 2015, Chheda spent the summer reading a biology textbook for college students, Sinha said.
He was not just committed to his studies, however, he also devoted himself to both his mother father, and their younger sisters, Sinha said.
“He was a wonderful family man. He had great reverence for his parents, and their contribution in his own life. In addition, he was devoted to his sister and was an example to his sister more than anyone else I’ve ever met.”
His friend’s passing was difficult for Sinha to process.
“I was in complete shock that something can happen to someone who is so pure, so smart and innocence, someone that definitely was not worthy of such an result. Every person I’ve spoken to has asked”Of all people in the world, why did he happen is he the only one?’
“He’s been an extremely positive influence. He was also clever enough to be able to see how there was a huge impact just by using his brain in the near future,” Sinha said.
Andrew Wu went to middle school and high school together with Chheda and she and Andrew played video games together.
“We played games with each other every day, playing video games, card games, and more. Even though we were hundreds of miles apart during the last four years of our college years, we remained in contact. We would meet every six to seven days a week for games with each other,” he said.
Wu claimed that Chheda’s death came “totally unexpected and completely out of the blue.”
“He does not talk about his roommate at all. His roommate is never mentioned during games. It was an absolute shocking experience,” Wu said. Chheda “would not attempt to create a conflict or a conflict with any person.”‘
Chheda told him that he was so smart “he could have accomplished anything” in the years following college.
“All was open. He was actually a genius who knew many aspects,” Wu said.
Chheda said the thing that Chheda taught him the most was compassion.
“I haven’t come across anyone so generous as him. He’s always alert to when someone’s uncomfortable. Wu is always ready to make concessions. He’s always willing to sacrifice himself in order to assist others,” Wu said.
Sumeeth Guda, a senior in statistics and math in Purdue University, said he collaborated with Chheda on an assignment for the final group of students in the semester in spring.
He described Chheda to be “a committed student” noting that he “definitely was a meticulous person and the determination make the highest quality of work.”
“Aside from this, Guda was a great person, friendly and willing to help fellow teammates,” Guda said.
“I have made many new acquaintances. … I will treasure these memories
Chheda has graduated from Park Tudor School, a private school located in Indianapolis, Dennis Bisgaard, the school’s interim director confirmed the news.
“The whole Park Tudor group is extremely saddened by the tragic death of Varun Chheda, Park Tudor class of 2020. Our prayers and thoughts for his loved ones members at this moment of grief,” he said.
The Facebook page of Sycamore School alumni made a dedication to Chheda on Wednesday, pointing out that he was a student at Sycamore School from kindergarten through eighth grade. It also said:
“We will be missing his presence. Varun was a talented student hilarious, and liked by his peers. Varun had admirable traits of character which were the result of a strong home and family.” explained Diane Borgmann Sycamore’s headmaster.
The post also mentioned Chheda’s graduation speech from May of 2016.
“I have gained many friends. The relationships have been built upon mutual respect and admiration and I’m sure I’ll treasure these relationships,” Chheda told his classmates. “It is much more than an educational institution. It is an environment that is healthy, positive and happy where students as youngsters, develop and fly.”
