Kolkata: A ten-member inquiry committee visited the Jadavpur University Hostel after a student allegedly died following a fall from the balcony of his hostel at midnight, said an official. Dean, Science Faculty Jadavpur University Subenoy Chakraborty told ANI that a 10-member committee had been constituted to inquire into the incident.
Earlier today, the Jadavpur University formed a seven-member internal committee to probe the death of its student, Swarnodip Kundu, who allegedly fell from the second-floor balcony of the hostel building.
"We informed the parents of the student immediately after receiving the information. Further details about the incident will come to the fore after a proper inquiry," said a statement.
The committee has to submit its report to the university within 15 days.
Swarnodip, a first-year student of Jadavpur University in Kolkata from Bagula in Nadia died on Thursday after allegedly falling from the second-floor balcony of the university's hostel on Wednesday night. His classmates immediately took him to nearby KPC Hospital in Jadavpur, where he died on Thursday morning while undergoing treatment.
Deceased Swarnodip Kundu, 18, a first year student of the Bengali (honours) Department, received multiple injuries, a police official said.
As classes for the first year began a couple of days back, another student of that year alleged that ragging by a few seniors was behind his friend's death.
Kundu had called his mother expressing fear 'about something'
Initial probe revealed that the boy called his mother at around 9 PM on Wednesday and expressed his fear "about something", a police officer said. "His phone got switched off later. We are looking into his call list to find out whether he spoke to anyone else after that or not," the officer said, adding that they have examined the mobile phones of his roommates.
"We are waiting for the post-mortem examination report. That will help us in our investigation," he added.
JU Registrar Snehamanju Basu said in a communique to the Jadavpur police station said the said student was found on the road in front of the main hostel within the campus in unconscious and wounded condition "at 11 pm" and "despite every step taken for immediate and best possible treatment for him, he died at 6 am today."
Allegations of ragging
On the allegation of Swarnodip's father that his son is a victim of ragging, the police officer said that they were talking to the hostel in-charge and also the students who have recently started staying there.
Meanwhile, another first-year student of Jadavpur University alleged in a Facebook post that ragging by "a few seniors" was behind the death of his friend Swarnodip.
"My name is Arpan Majhi. I am a first-year student at Jadavpur University. My family is economically backward and I grew up in Asansol. Naturally, I applied for a hostel during admission. Spending two to three nights at the hostel was quite tormenting to me and because of that, I have started looking for a mess despite facing great difficulty, even if I have to take a loan," he wrote.
Referring to the ragging by a section of the senior boarders at the hostel, Majhi said, "I have heard many stories about the main hostel. Stories of them helping flood victims, standing by the side of helpless people during the Covid-19 pandemic. I believe most of the seniors in the main hostel carry this fighting tradition. But for a few of them, I lost my classmate," he alleged.
Ragging continues unchecked
The JU chapter of the All Bengal University Teachers' Association (ABUTA) alleged that the varsity authorities did not take any step to stop ragging despite knowing about this practice.
Jadavpur University Teachers Association (JUTA) Secretary Partha Pratim Roy called for keeping new students in a separate hostel as per UGC rules and immediately driving out former students who had been living in the hostel illegally. "We demand exemplary punishment for those responsible for his fate," Roy said.
Meanwhile, the boy's maternal uncle in a letter to the Registrar demanded a "proper, full-fledged inquiry into the incident". Registrar Basu said the letter from the maternal uncle has been referred to the internal inquiry committee meeting of the university.
