IISER student found hanging in hostel

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata

THE BODY of a second-year student of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Kalyani was found hanging from a toilet in his hostel on Monday. Police said Sagar Mandal (19), a resident of Haringhata in Nadia, committed suicide. Sources in the police said Sagar was last seen at around 2.30 am on Monday when he was preparing for his exam till late hours. However, in the morning, he was found missing. After a search of the campus, his friends found him hanging in an unused toilet on the fifth floor of the hostel, they added.

“The fifth floor had unoccupied rooms and unused bathrooms. Sagar’s friends found his body and informed police,” said a police officer. Sources said Sagar, who belonged to a lower middle-class family, was finding it difficult to cope with the English language since he was a student of Bengali medium. His friends described him as a bright student. “We have registered a case of unnatural death. The body has been sent for autopsy. The reason behind his death is uncertain. We are investigating from all possible angles,” said a police official.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, relatives of the deceased protested in front of the campus, demanding proper investigation. “We are sad and shocked on his sudden death. It’s an unfortunate incident. We will definitely sit with students to find out if there was any problem,” an official of the institute told The Indian Express. A condolence meeting was also organised on the campus on Tuesday.