Bhubaneswar, Dec 1 (IANS) A fresh row erupted on Monday following the unnatural death of another student in a hostel room at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Bhubaneswar late Sunday night.

This is the third reported suicide at KIIT University this year.

According to reports, the deceased student, identified as Rahul Yadav (18) from Raipur in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, who was pursuing a first-year Computer Science course, was found hanging in his hostel room on Sunday evening.

Commissionerate Police sources stated that the Infocity Police Station received information about the incident around 10:45 p.m. on Sunday.

“Upon receiving the information, the Infocity Police immediately rushed to the spot. The room, which was locked from the inside, was opened in the presence of police officials under videography. The body was then shifted to KIMS Hospital, where the attending doctor declared Yadav dead,” noted the Commissionerate Police.

Based on the MLC received from the hospital, police have launched a probe by registering an Unnatural Death (UD) case (153/25) at the Infocity Police Station on Monday.

The Commissionerate Police further stated that a Scientific Officer visited the spot, and in her presence, the Investigating Officer seized exhibits, including the mobile phone and laptop of the deceased, under a proper seizure list. The room was subsequently sealed pending the arrival of the deceased’s parents.

The Commissioner of Police, along with other senior officers, visited the hostel room, assessed the evidence, and interacted with hostel inmates to ascertain the background and circumstances of the death.

The inquest and post-mortem will be conducted after the arrival of the parents, who are currently en route to Bhubaneswar.

To prevent any law-and-order situation, the police deployed a platoon of forces along with officers near the hostel on Sunday and Monday night; the situation is reported to be under control.

Following the incident, several legislators, cutting across party lines, demanded a proper and impartial investigation.

Meanwhile, KIIT University sources stated that the institute will soon issue an official statement regarding the incident.

Notably, the educational institution had faced severe criticism earlier this year over the separate deaths of two Nepali female students. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has also appointed a fact-finding committee to investigate the two suicide incidents that occurred on February 16 and May 1 at KIIT University.

–IANS

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