WEST LAFAYETTE (ABC News/WRTV) — The parents of a Purdue student killed in his dorm room earlier this month are sharing their grief and how they want to honor him.
Police say Varun Chheda, 20, died in "an unprovoked attack" after he was stabbed multiple times, allegedly by his roommate.
"I miss him terribly. Because he was my son, because he was my friend," Seema Dedhiya, Chheda's mom, told ABC News in a new interview.
Dedhiya drove Chheda back to Purdue after a long weekend with family. Chheda texted "goodnight mama" around 11:45 p.m.
Later that night, the data science major was gaming online with friends when the attack happened. Purdue University police found Chheda dead shortly after 12:40 a.m. Oct. 5 as they responded to McCutcheon Hall.
"You would never believe it in a million years. I mean, I would believe that, you know, there could be a fire or there could be an earthquake, or there could be, you know, a car wreck or any other kind of, you know, accident, but never, never something like this," Manish Chheda, Varun's dad, said.
An autopsy found Varun died from "multiple sharp force trauma" injuries to his head and neck. His death was ruled a homicide.
Both parents want to honor their son by living as he did: with compassion, kindness and a curiosity for life.
"What will you miss most?" asked ABC's Eva Pilgrim.
"His laugh [and] his brilliance," Dedhiy said.
"In the time that he had, he touched a lot of people in a positive way," Manish said.
You can read more about Varun here.
-
Trucking company sues for alleged $769K in unpaid invoices for donut delivery
An Anderson transportation company has filed a lawsuit alleging they’re owed hundreds of thousands of dollars for delivering donuts for Jack’s Donuts.
Hoosiers react to SNAP changes in Braun's effort to 'Make Indiana Healthy Again'
Four of Tuesday's nine executive orders could affect the nearly 600,000 Hoosiers who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Economist weighs in after Governor Braun signs property tax relief bill into law
Governor Braun signed Senate Bill 1 into law Tuesday after lawmakers. Find out what this could mean for your property tax bill
Indy DPW: 157,000 potholes filled so far this year, working on thousands more
Indy's Department of Public Works said crews are working ten-hour shifts this week and next week— weather permitting— to make roads smoother.
