Sambalpur: A 23-year-old student of Sambalpur University was found dead in a suspected case of suicide in the Brahmaputra hostel on Jyotivihar campus on Tuesday night.The deceased, identified as Suraj Kujur, was a second-year student in the Economics department and a native of Kutra area in Sundargarh district. Burla police station officer Samyakanta Baliar Singh said preliminary investigation indicated that the student was under mental stress due to family and financial issues. Suraj’s father is reportedly undergoing medical treatment and the student was facing monetary difficulties. “However, all possible angles are being investigated,” Singh added. The incident came to light when other students went to Suraj’s room to call him for dinner on Tuesday night but received no response despite repeatedly knocking on the door. They later climbed in through a window and found him hanging from the ceiling. Hostel authorities were immediately alerted, following which police and university officials rushed to the spot. The vice-chancellor and registrar of the university also visited the hostel to take stock of the situation. As it was late at night, police kept the body in the hostel, officials said. On Wednesday morning, an inquest was conducted in the presence of his family members, after which the body was sent for post-mortem examination. Pradeep Nayak, the university registrar, said, “Suraj’s exams were currently underway. He was a good and simple student. We are unable to understand why he took such a step.”The exact circumstances leading to the death are still under investigation, police said.After completion of the post-mortem, the body was handed over to the family and taken to his native place for last rites.
