A 32-year-old Jawaharlal Nehru University staff was on Thursday stabbed multiple times by her former live-in partner who suspected her of being in a relationship with someone else, the police said on Friday.

The victim, identified as Pooja, a resident Kishangarh, was attacked by Varun Pandey (36) in front of J.D. Tytler School in south Delhi’s Munirka when she had gone to pick up her daughter, they said.

Caught by locals

“Pandey was caught by the locals and later handed over to the police,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-West) Devender Arya.

Ms. Pooja was rushed to Indian Spinal Injuries Centre where her condition was stated to be critical. The knife used in the attack has been recovered from the spot, Mr. Arya also said.

During investigation, it was revealed that the victim, a divorcee, had been in a live-in relationship with Mr. Pandey for eight years, the police said. The accused is a resident of Khanpur, they said.

The accused and the victim were, however, living separately for the past two months, the police added. The DCP said that Ms. Pooja’s daughter studies in Class III.

The accused suspected that Ms. Pooja was in a relationship with another person, the police said.

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union president N. Sai Balaji has appealed to people to donate money and blood to the victim, who is the sanitation in-charge at Shipra Hostel.

She is critical and is battling for life at the ICU of the Spinal Injuries Centre, Mr. Balaji said, adding that she urgently required blood and that the cost of treatment is coming up to at least ₹4 lakh.

“Ms. Pooja is a single mother. The man who stabbed her is also a JNU employee. This act of violence has shocked everyone,” he said.