A Purdue University student charged with the 2022 murder of his dormitory roommate is now deemed competent to stand trial, according to recent court documents. Ji Min Sha, originally from Seoul, South Korea, has undergone months of treatment at Logansport State Hospital. The hospital superintendent conveyed to Tippecanoe Circuit Judge Sean Persin that Sha is now able to comprehend the proceedings and can actively participate in his defense preparation.
In April, Judge Persin had ruled Sha unfit for trial due to reported hallucinations and persistent delusional thoughts experienced while in custody. Sha had initially been arrested on allegations of fatally stabbing his roommate, 20-year-old data science major Varun Manish Chheda, in their McCutcheon Hall dorm room at Purdue’s West Lafayette campus. Sha, who faces one count of murder, purportedly believed himself to be a participant in international espionage and a former CIA agent.
A follow-up status conference has been scheduled for September 29. Sha’s defense has not yet commented on the latest developments. The investigation found that Chheda died from multiple sharp-force traumatic injuries, with the murder weapon found near his body.
