Jadavpur varsity student dies in fall, kin say was facing ragging

While the deceased’s family alleged he was ragged at the hostel premises, police said an investigation is underway

Kolkata: A first-year student of Jadavpur University in Kolkata died after allegedly falling from the second-floor balcony of his hostel where he was staying since last week, police said on Thursday.

The 18-year-old student from Nadia district was found lying naked in a pool of blood in front of the main hostel building outside the university campus by students at around 11.45pm on Wednesday, police said.

While the deceased’s family alleged he was ragged at the hostel premises, police said an investigation is underway. The university said it has set up an internal committee to probe the student’s death.

The 18-year-old student from Nadia district was found lying naked in a pool of blood in front of the main hostel building outside the university campus by students at around 11.45pm on Wednesday, police said.

The teen’s body bore several injury marks and he was rushed to a private hospital where he died at around 4.30am on Thursday, police added.

“We heard a loud thud and rushed out. He was lying naked in a pool of blood,” a student said on condition of anonymity.

“The student received multiple injuries and died at 4.30am during treatment at the KPC Medical College,” a police officer at Jadavpur Police Station said, seeking anonymity.

The student had enrolled for Bengali Honours last week and had shifted to the hostel’s A2 block on Sunday as the classes began on Monday.

The deceased’s family alleged he was being ragged at the hostel premises and wanted them to visit him in the hostel.

“My son called last night (Wednesday) and spoke to his mother. He was very afraid and was under tremendous pressure. He begged me and his mother to come. It was clear that he was being tortured,” the student’s father told reporters.

A senior police officer said while the family is yet to register a formal complaint, police have sent the body for post mortem and begun a probe of unnatural death.

“We have started a probe. We are waiting for the family to lodge a formal complaint. Once they lodge the complaint, we will register an FIR. We are also waiting for the autopsy report.”

In his complaint to the university registrar, the student’s uncle said he spoke to his mother at around 9.30pm on Wednesday and at around 1.25am on Thursday, the family received a call that he had fallen from the balcony.

“Earlier in the day, he called his mother and said he was very happy and the class went well. But at around 9:30pm, he again called his mother, saying he was very afraid and begged his parents to come and take him home,” the uncle said.

“He told his mother that he had many things to share. The doctors told me there were some injury marks on the body. How can this happen without being ragged,” he added.

The relative also ruled out the possibility of a suicide. “He did not commit suicide,” he said.

A section of students and teachers alleged that former students frequently visited the hostel, stayed in the premises and even sometimes harassed the freshers.

“It is not for the first time that allegations of ragging have poured in. Earlier too, students have faced such situations. Senior and former students often harass freshers,” a hostelite said, seeking anonymity.

Speaking on similar lines, a professor, who did not want to be named, said: “This particular hostel, as it is located outside the university campus, is a free zone for former students. They frequently come to the hostel, stay there overnight and harass freshers. The freshers are often ragged. The victim was surely a victim of ragging by senior and ex-students.”

“Separate hostel facilities need to be arranged for freshers as per guidelines of the University Grants Commission. Former students who stay in the hostel illegally should be evicted and action be initiated against them,” the Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association said in a statement.

The university formed a seven-member internal committee to probe the death. “An internal committee be formed to enquire the extremely sad incident of student of UG-1, Bengali, last night at the main hostel with Professor Subenoy Chakraborty, Dean, Science as chairman,” it said in a statement.

The panel visited the hostel premises.

“We will do everything that is in our hands. The process may take some time. Police have already started their probe. An internal probe committee has been set up to find out what happened. He informed his parents but never informed us. Had the information reached us, we could have acted,” joint registrar Sanjay Gopal Sarkar said.

West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose visited the premises in the evening.