A student of Berhampore Girls’ College was murdered in public view on Monday evening.

Sutapa Chowdhury, 21, was fatally stabbed by a young man, who police claimed was known to her, in front of her rented house at Surjya Sen Street in Berhampore town. Sutapa, a resident of Englishbazar in Malda, stayed there as a tenant with a few others.

The assailant also slit her throat. When onlookers tried to nab him, he took out a gun and threatened to open fire. He then fled. Bystanders took the girl to hospital where she was declared brought dead.

K. Sabari Rajkumar, the police chief of Murshidabad, said from preliminary investigation it appears that the girl knew the assailant.

“The actual reason behind the murder will be probed but it seems the two knew each other. The police have started a probe," he said.

Local residents have expressed fear and insecurity after the incident. Mridul Mondal, a resident of the area, said: "This is the first time something like this happened here. We are scared. This is such a populated area and still a girl was killed in the open."

Hena Khan, the principal of the college where Sutapa studied, was on the verge of tears as she spoke about the deceased.

The murder took place a short distance away from Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s residence. The MP said he was shocked to see such an incident happen in his locality.

"This is unforeseen. Will there be no security for women in Bengal? I've spoken to the DGP. He has assured me that the culprit will be arrested," he said.