A man armed with a large knife beheaded an 18-year-old woman at her school in front of her horrified classmates in eastern India.

The attacker later told police he was in love with the victim but her parents would not allow them to marry.

Police officers arrested Bijendra Kumar on suspicion of killing Khushbu, who used only one name.

He attacked her with a ceremonial curved khukri as she was leaving her classroom in the eastern city of Ranchi yesterday.

The blade sliced her head off and she died instantly.

Kumar was quickly mobbed by the other students and handed over to the police. He told them that he had also intended to kill himself.