Visva Bharati University Student Allegedly Dies by Suicide, Police Face Protest From Hostel Boarders

Santiniketan: A 24-year-old woman student of Visva Bharati university, who hailed from Uttar Pradesh, allegedly died by suicide, an official said on Friday.

It is suspected that the woman, Anamika Singh, consumed poison in her hostel room. The third-year student at the Institute of Design and Craft died in a local hospital after she was taken there on Thursday night.

Suspected Poisoning Incident and Student Protest

Following her death, the police went to her hostel room but a section of students resisted them.

The students referred to the incident at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, a state-run facility, where a medic was raped and murdered and allegations were raised that evidence was destroyed.

One of the agitating students Debamita Bandyopadhyay questioned why the police team entered the girl's hostel without being accompanied by university officials.

"In view of what happened in R G Kar hospital after the death of the doctor, we had reasons to be suspicious about the intention of the police," she said.

Police Investigation and Autopsy Amid Student Protests

A Visva Bharati official said Singh was taken to Bolpur Sub-divisional Hospital in a serious condition by her friends and university officials on Thursday evening and she succumbed there later.

The official said prima facie it appeared Singh had consumed poison in her room and the police are investigating the matter.

Another university official, Registrar Ashok Mahato, who also faced the protest by students at the hostel, said, "It took time for us to reach the hostel from the hospital. The police reached before us so that investigation is not delayed." After a prolonged discussion between students and senior police officials in the presence of university authorities, the police team could finally leave the hostel compound after a couple of hours.

Family Alleges Pressure on the Deceased

Additional Superintendent of Police Rana Mukherjee said, “Our officers reached the hostel following a telephonic conversation with university officials and sealed the room so that evidence couldn't be tampered with." He said the autopsy on the woman's body was conducted by a board of experts in the field in consultation with the university.

The mother of the deceased, who reached in Santiniketan on Friday, said, "It appears she was compelled to die by suicide, there was pressure on her." She, however, said her daughter did not tell her about any pressure.

(With input from PTI)