JU boy death: Ex-student detained for questioning

Representational Photo


Amidst allegations of ragging behind the death of Swapnadeep Kundu, the first year student of Bengali department at Jadavpur University, police have detained one former student on the campus for questioning based on the complaint lodged by the father of the deceased.

A source in the detective department (DD) of Kolkata Police claimed that an ex-student, identified as Sourav Chowdhury, who was detained for questioning, is believed to have shown some discrepancy in his statements, which the investigators are examining at present. Meanwhile, the dean of students of the Jadavpur University and the students’ hostel was summoned at Jadavpur PS today for quizzing. The dean of students told newspersons that one day a student had called him over the phone.

He told him that he was facing problems. He also said, claimed the dean of students, he was being threatened on the campus to keep off hostel if he could not jump from the hostel. The dean claimed that he had told the student to inform the super in detail about the goings-on. According to the family sources, on Wednesday, Swapnadeep had repeatedly called his mother till 9 pm and told her that he was not well and was jittery.

After that he could not be contacted. Later, it was leant that he allegedly had a fatal fall from the balcony of the second floor of the students’ main hostel and was rushed to the KPC hospital in a critical condition. Meanwhile, Governor CV Ananda Bose said that strong action will be taken and justice will be served. After visiting Jadavpur University hostel on Thursday, Governor Bose said, “I went to the hostel, I discussed with the students… and also the teachers, they want justice. Justice will be done. They presented before me some of the basic issues here. We’ll address them… We’ll do our best, we’ll give them justice, and strong action will be taken…”

The officials informed that, according to the preliminary post-mortem reports, the student died after falling from a high place. He suffered severe injury to the left side of the head and his left rib and pelvis were fractured due to the impact. Earlier in the day, a 10- member inquiry committee visited the Jadavpur University hostel after the incident, officials said.

Dean, science faculty, Jadavpur University, Subenoy Chakraborty stated that a 10-member committee had been constituted to inquire into the incident. “A ten-member committee has been constituted to inquire into the incident. The incident occurred around midnight. 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,” he said.