Calcutta, Nov. 4: A stalker slashed at an electronics engineering student of Jadavpur University inside the department today after she ignored his repeated attempts to befriend her.

Garima Singh, a first-year student originally from Shillong, was standing outside the computer-aided design (CAD) centre of the department around 11.45am when the stalker — his face covered — accosted her and asked whether she loved him.

Before the girl could gather her wits, the stalker fished out a sharp weapon and lunged at her throat. Reflex action saved her and the weapon struck her left shoulder and caused a wound near the chest.

The student screamed but the stalker managed to flee as the corridor was empty. The attacker had neither been identified nor arrested till late this evening.

Garima ran from the second floor to the union room and narrated the attack to other students who took her to a nearby hospital where she was given 14 stitches.

“She was taken to the emergency operation theatre where doctors stitched her wounds. She was released after her wound was dressed,” said a hospital official.

Garima, a Shillong Kendriya Vidyalaya alumnus who topped in mathematics, appeared for the departmental class test after the attack.

“I don’t know why he did it,” said Garima, before her friends took her to the women’s hostel on the campus.

JU veterans said they could not recall any such incident on the campus in recent memory. “We are going to do the needful to optimise surveillance on the campus,” said pro vice-chancellor Sidhartha Dutta.

Police have launched a probe following a complaint from Garima, who has been staying as a paying guest near 8B bus stand in Jadavpur since she came to Calcutta earlier this year.

According to a friend, Garima had said someone had been calling her up from telephone booths at wee hours and following her to the campus.

“A few days ago, the stalker professed his love for Garima through an anonymous love letter. We told her to ignore it but we never expected something like this to happen,” the friend said.