WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – Nearly a year after the shocking murder of 20-year-old Varun Manish Chheda at Purdue University’s McCutcheon Hall, the accused, Ji Min Sha, has been declared fit to stand trial.
Initially, after being diagnosed with schizophrenia in April, Sha was ruled incompetent for trial. However, recent evaluations have changed that verdict, prompting the transfer of the 22-year-old cybersecurity student to Tippecanoe County Jail.
Chheda, a senior in the College of Science, was found stabbed to death in October 2022. He had been roommates with Sha, making the incident all the more disturbing for the university community.
With Sha now being declared competent, a hearing in late September will determine the next steps. If convicted, Sha faces a minimum of 45 years behind bars.
Purdue officials have yet to comment on this recent development.
