Purdue University student charged with murder in death of roommate in dorm room

A Purdue University student was arrested on a murder charge yesterday, accused of killing his roommate in a residence hall on the campus, the school’s police chief said.

Purdue University Police Chief Lesley Wiete identified the slain student as Varun Manish Chheda, 20, a senior from Indianapolis, who was studying data science.

Ji Min “Jimmy” Sha, a junior cybersecurity major and international student from Korea, called 911 around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday to alert police about the death, Wiete said at a news conference.

Varun Manish Chheda, 20, of Indianapolis, died of “multiple sharp force traumatic injuries.”

Details of the call weren’t disclosed. Authorities said the incident happened in a room on the first floor of McCutcheon Hall.