An MBBS student of a government college in Chennai was shot dead on her birthday by her boyfriend - a policeman attached to the security branch in Chennai - who later shot himself to death at her native in Anniyur village, Villupuram on Tuesday night.

S Saraswathi and Karthikvelan

Chennai:

The deceased were identified as S Saraswathi, 22, third year student of ESI Medical College, KK Nagar and the policeman Karthikvelan, 30, a native of Anthiyur, Erode. 

The two had met on Facebook and had even got their parents’ approval for marriage, police said. 

Police suspect that Saraswathi’s alleged friendship with another student in college drove a wedge between the two. “The couple had not spoken to each other for weeks. However, on Tuesday night, he arrived at Villupuram with gifts for her birthday. 

After the celebrations, they were talking in her room when we heard shots being fired. We rushed to the room to find the two lying in a pool of blood,” said Sekar, Saraswathi’s father. “My girl wanted to serve the people in her village after  becoming a doctor,” her father told reporters on Wednesday.  

Police said that though Karthikvelan was a constable, he had access to weapons because he was part of security branch, a unit which gives protection to VIPs in the state, including ministers.