BCA student found murdered at home, classmate arrested

 

By Sumesh Rajan | August 11, 2026

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA: A BCA student was allegedly murdered by her classmate inside her home in Lucknow’s Narpatkheda locality following an argument reportedly linked to jealousy over her interactions with another man, police said.

The victim, Smriti Pandey, a first-year Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) student at TS Mishra College, was found dead in a room on the first floor of her house under the Para police station limits on Wednesday August 5 evening. She had suffered deep injuries to her throat, allegedly inflicted with a sharp-edged weapon.

Her classmate, Devansh Pathak, was found seriously injured near her body. He was initially taken to Lok Bandhu Hospital for treatment and was subsequently arrested in connection with the murder, police said. A knife suspected to have been used in the crime was recovered from the scene.

According to police, Smriti and Devansh had known each other since their intermediate studies and later enrolled in the same BCA programme.

The incident came to light when Smriti’s sister returned home from college on Wednesday August 5 evening. She reportedly found the main gate open and, after finding no one on the ground floor, went upstairs looking for Smriti.

On entering the room, she found Smriti lying near the bed with severe injuries, while Devansh was found injured nearby. She immediately raised an alarm and informed the police and other family members.

A police team rushed to the house and secured the scene. Smriti was found dead, while Devansh was taken to hospital for treatment. Her body was subsequently sent for post-mortem examination.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Kamlesh Dixit said police received information about the murder of a girl in Narpatkheda under the Para police station area and immediately reached the spot.

Police said preliminary investigation indicated that Devansh had gone to Smriti’s house after learning that she was alone. Investigators suspect he had become jealous or suspicious over Smriti’s communication with another man.

An argument allegedly broke out between the two over the issue and subsequently escalated into violence. Police allege that Devansh attacked Smriti with the sharp-edged weapon, causing fatal injuries to her throat.

During the initial investigation, Devansh reportedly gave a different account of what had happened. He allegedly claimed that Smriti had picked up a knife and attempted to harm herself during their argument and that he injured his hand while trying to take the weapon away from her.

Police, however, said further questioning and investigation pointed towards Devansh’s involvement in the killing and that he later allegedly admitted to slitting Smriti’s throat during the altercation.

Investigators are now examining forensic and medical evidence to establish the exact sequence of events and verify the circumstances surrounding the murder. The knife and mobile phone have been seized, while call records, messages and other digital evidence are being analysed to determine the motive and reconstruct the events leading up to the killing.

Smriti’s father, Shailendra Pandey, is a retired Naib Subedar of the Indian Army and currently works as an NCC instructor in Kanpur. Her mother, Kiran Pandey, is a homemaker, while her brother is preparing for the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) examination in Prayagraj.