BHUBANESWAR: An 18-year-old computer science student at KIIT deemed to be university here was found dead inside his hostel room on the campus on Sunday night. Infocity police suspect he died by suicide.This is the third such incident on the campus this year, following the deaths of two Nepalese students on Feb 16 and May 1, which had prompted a diplomatic intervention by the Nepal govt.The mother of the deceased, a native of Raipur, lodged a complaint at Infocity police station, accusing a girl from Chhattisgarh and her family of being responsible for her son’s suicide. She alleged that the girl and her family had been harassing and threatening the first-year-student, ultimately driving him to take his own life.Police registered a case based on the complaint. “Testimony of hostel inmates, analysis of social media accounts, digital communication, and information provided by the mother and relatives of the deceased indicate that the student shared a friendship with the girl from Chhattisgarh, who is currently studying in Maharashtra. Based on this, we have registered a case against her and initiated an investigation,” said a statement from city police.Police said the student was alone in his room when his roommates were away. On returning around 10:30 pm, they found the door locked from inside. After repeated knocks and phone calls went unanswered, hostel authorities were alerted, who then informed the cops at around 10:45 pm.“The room, which was locked from inside, was opened in the presence of police officers under videography. Initial findings indicate the student ended his life over personal issues. So far, no allegations have been raised regarding the circumstances of his death,” said DCP Jagmohan Meena. Police officers remain tight-lipped when asked about the reported recovery of a suicide note from the room.ACP (zone-VI), Sonali Singh Parmar, along with senior officers, visited the spot, examined evidence, and spoke to hostel inmates. “The investigating officer seized exhibits including the deceased’s mobile phone and laptop. The room was sealed, pending the arrival of the student’s parents, who reached on Monday afternoon,” ACP Parmar said.In a written statement, the KIIT management said, “According to the mother’s account, the student ended his life due to personal relationship issues with a girl. The rising number of suicides in educational institutions in Odisha and other states is deeply concerning. This is a challenge we must collectively address.”KIIT authorities said they were deeply saddened by the death. “We are cooperating fully with police in their investigation,” Sradhanjali Nayak, director (public relations), KIIT, told TOI.
