JU asks first year students to temporarily shift to new hostel after 18-yr-old falls to death

Kolkata, Aug 11 (PTI) Jadavpur University has asked all first year male boarders of the main hostel to temporarily shift to a new facility after an 18-year-old Bengali Honours undergraduate student died after falling from a balcony of the older building.

Swapnadip Kundu (18), a resident of Bagula in Nadia district, fell from the main hostel building around 11.45 pm on Wednesday and died while undergoing treatment at a hospital around 4.30 am on Thursday.

“As directed, all undergraduate first year students for the session 2023-24 allotted to A-1 and A-2 blocks of the main hostel are instructed to shift temporarily to the new boys’ hostel within today itself,” a notification issued on Thursday said.

“It is further notified that no passed out students as well as outsiders are allowed to stay in the hostels with immediate effect. Hostel superintendents are requested to send the names of such passed out students or outsiders, as the case maybe, who does not comply with the said instruction,” it added.

Fellow first year student Arpan Majhi alleged that Kundu’s death was caused by ragging by a few seniors.

Initial probe revealed that the student was bullied allegedly by some senior boarders of the hostel, police said.

Governor C V Ananda Bose, who is chancellor of the university, visited the hostel and assured Kundu’s father of stern action against those responsible for his son’s death.

“It seems that the student was mentally distressed after seniors started calling him gay. He called up his mother at least four times on Wednesday and also deactivated his Facebook account in the evening,” a police officer told PTI.

JU Registrar Snehamanju Basu informed the police that Kundu was found on the road in front of the main hostel on the campus in an unconscious state and despite “best possible treatment”, died later.

On Kundu’s father’s allegation that his son was a victim of ragging, police said they were talking to the in-charge of the hostel and also students who have recently started staying there.