Telangana first-year student dies by suicide in NIT Kurukshetra hostel room

Kurukshetra: A 19-year-old student from Telangana allegedly died by suicide at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Haryana's Kurukshetra district on Monday. The student, identified as Angod Shiva, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his hostel room, police said. He was a resident of Maheshwari village in Rangareddy district, Telangana, and a first-semester student pursuing a degree in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at the institute and was staying in a hostel room on the campus.

No suicide note was found at the spot, police said. At the time of the incident, Shiva was alone in his room. His two roommates, both from Haryana, had gone for lunch. Earlier in the morning, Shiva had attended his classes around 10 am. After the class, he returned to his room while his roommates left for lunch, officials said.

When Shiva did not come to the mess for lunch, one of his roommates went back to call him. The room was locked from the inside. Despite repeated knocking, there was no response. The roommate then went around to the rear side of the building and looked through a window, where he allegedly saw Shiva hanging from the ceiling fan.

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The matter was immediately reported to the NIT administration, which informed the police. In charge of a police post under Thanesar police station, Vinod Kumar, said the body has been taken into custody and kept in the mortuary of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital (LNJP) for post-mortem examination. Police have informed Shiva's family members, who are expected to arrive soon. Further action will be taken based on the statement of the family, Kumar said.

During preliminary questioning, Shiva's friends told the police that he used to speak frequently on the phone, but they could not understand his native language. However, he conversed with them in Hindi. Police have initiated proceedings under relevant sections of the law and are continuing their investigation into the matter.

If you know someone – friend or family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. Those in distress or having suicidal thoughts or tendencies could seek help and counselling by calling 9820466726 or visiting AASRA’s official website or can call iCALL on 9152987821. Here are some more helpline numbers of suicide prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.