A 19-year-old college student was brutally stabbed multiple times in broad daylight by a man who allegedly attacked her after she stopped speaking to him on Instagram. The shocking incident took place on Friday afternoon in the busy Freeganj medicine market in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain and was captured on CCTV.

The accused, identified as Sunil Jarolia, was arrested by police within three hours of the attack after he tried to escape.

The victim, Pooja alias Gungun, a first-year BA student from Bapu Nagar, had been working as a computer operator at a pharmaceutical shop in the medicine market for the past eight months.

According to police, Pooja was on her way to work at around 12.45 pm when Sunil, who was allegedly waiting near the entrance of the market, stopped her. Before she could react, he allegedly pulled out a knife and attacked her repeatedly.

The CCTV footage of the incident shows the accused stabbing the young woman several times on her head, neck and abdomen before fleeing the spot. The sudden attack created panic in the crowded market as shoppers and shopkeepers rushed to help the victim.

Pooja, who suffered five stab injuries and lost a significant amount of blood, was first taken to the district hospital before being shifted to a private hospital. Doctors said her condition remains critical.

Police launched a search operation immediately after the attack. Acting on a tip-off that Sunil was hiding near an engineering college, officers surrounded the area. While trying to escape, the accused jumped over a wall and fractured his leg. He was taken into custody and admitted to the district hospital for treatment.

During questioning, Sunil allegedly told police that he had become friends with Pooja on Instagram around four years ago. He claimed he wanted to marry her, but she had stopped answering his calls about 10 days ago. He also alleged that her mother was not willing to approve the marriage.

According to police, Sunil admitted that he had gone to meet Pooja carrying a knife from his home. He allegedly said that when she refused to speak to him, he attacked her.

"I made a very big mistake. I should not have done this," the accused allegedly told police during questioning.

Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now