Police probe sexual harassment angle in Jadavpur student’s death

The victim and other freshers were being subjected to ragging since Monday in the name of ‘introduction’.

Kolkata: The Kolkata police are investigating a sexual harassment angle in the death of an 18-year-old student, who allegedly jumped off the second-floor balcony of his hostel in Jadavpur University on Wednesday night, officers familiar with the matter said on Saturday.

A former university student, identified as Sourav Chowdhury, who did his MSc in Mathematics in 2022, was arrested in connection with the case

According to the police, a murder case has been registered based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s parents, who live in Nadia district. A former university student, identified as Sourav Chowdhury, who did his MSc in Mathematics in 2022, was arrested in connection with the case on Friday. The Alipore court on Saturday sent him to police custody till August 22.

“Investigation is going on. We have registered a case under section 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). One person has been arrested. We are interrogating him. A few others are also being questioned,” a senior officer from the detective department of Kolkata police said, adding that a diary has been seized from Room Number 68 of the hostel, where the first-year student lived.

The victim and other freshers were being subjected to ragging since Monday in the name of “introduction”, another officer said, requesting anonymity. “Detective department sleuths are investigating if there is a sexual harassment angle in the incident,” the officer added.

The undergraduate student, a resident of Nadia district, jumped off the second-floor balcony of the main hostel building around 11.45 pm on Wednesday and died while undergoing treatment at a hospital at 3.40 am on Thursday. The victim was found lying naked in a pool of blood. Earlier that evening, he was heard by some other students as saying that he was not homosexual, the officer said.

Around 9.30 pm, the victim had called his mother and said he was very afraid and wanted to disclose many things. Later, when his parents called back, he did not respond. A few minutes later he called back, but could not speak as the call was disconnected, the officer said, quoting from the complaint. “Sleuths suspect that the phone was snatched from him by Chowdhury, who was present in the hostel that night,” the officer added.

Police told the court on Saturday that he was directly involved in the ragging incident before the victim allegedly jumped to death.

“If my son is guilty, he should be punished,” Nirup Chowdhury, the father of the accused told reporters. His mother, however, claimed he was being framed.

A university student, meanwhile, said sexual harassment and ragging are common on campus, particularly in hostels.

“Seniors make lewd remarks and one is asked to perform several sexual acts, including stripping and parading nude. Students are also asked to describe their private parts. Not everyone can tolerate such ragging and many students leave the hostel,” the student said, declining to be named.

University’s dean of students, Rajat Roy, said he received a call from a student at 10.05 pm on Wednesday, about the alleged ragging of another student. “I asked him to inform the hostel-superintendent. At 10.08 pm, I asked the superintendent to check. The next phone call I got was a little after midnight in which the superintendent informed me that a student had fallen from the balcony after which I rushed to the hospital,” Roy said.