PHAGWARA (PB), Sept 21: A first-year student of a private university in Punjab’s Phagwara allegedly died by suicide, triggering a protest by other students on the campus.
The 22-year-old student, who was from Kerala and was studying Bachelor of Design at Lovely Professional University (LPU), took the extreme step on September 20, police said on Wednesday.
Civil hospital authorities said the student was brought dead.
According to a suicide note left by the student, he was facing some personal issues, said deputy superintendent of police, Phagwara, Jaspreet Singh.
Deputy inspector general of police (Jalandhar range) S Bhoopati said an investigation in the matter is underway.
He said police will verify the facts when the student’s parents reach here.
A police official said, “We have informed the family of the student in Kerala. We will initiate further action after we record their statement.”
As the news of the student’s suicide broke, other students held a protest on the campus late on Tuesday night.
Students, including girls, came out of their hostels and raised slogans such as “We want justice” while security guards of the university tried to pacify them.
The students demanded a fair and transparent investigation into the matter.
A purported video of the protest circulating on social media showed students questioning a police official who was trying to pacify them.
The official told the students that police are doing their job and asked them to calm down.
Policemen have been deployed on the university campus.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Phagwara, Lal Vishwas Bains appealed to students not to believe any rumours.
Earlier, DIG Bhoopati, Kapurthala senior superintendent of police Navneet Singh Bains and other police officers reached the spot to take stock of the situation.
Journalists, however, were not allowed to go inside the university campus.
LPU said it is saddened by the unfortunate incident.
“The initial investigation by the police, and the content of the suicide note point towards personal issues of the deceased. The university is providing full support to the authorities for further investigation.
“The University mourns the loss of the student and expresses its condolences to the bereaved family,” LPU said in a statement posted on its Twitter handle.
The incident comes close on the heels of recent protests at Chandigarh University in Mohali over allegations levelled by students that a hosteller had recorded several objectionable videos of women students in the common washroom. (PTI)
