Around 20 Students Interrogated by Police Over Jadavpur University Student's Death

Following the tragic demise of Swapnodeep Kundu, a first-year student residing in the Jadavpur University hostel, authorities have taken significant steps in the investigation. In connection with the incident, the police have summoned an additional group of five students for questioning. In a recent development, the police have already interrogated a total of 15 students from the JU hostel on Thursday, focusing on probing allegations of ragging. This brings the cumulative count of cross-questioned students to 20.

Kundu's passing occurred after a reported fall from a balcony. While the initial assumption leaned towards suicide, the situation has become more complex due to the concerned parents' insistence on foul play within the hostel. Some students have come forward asserting that Kundu's tragic decision might have been prompted by instances of ragging within Jadavpur University. Sources indicate that Kundu had refrained from staying in the hostel and had opted to live with friends instead. He allegedly expressed his concerns to family members, mentioning his reluctance to stay in the hostel environment. A faculty member has also raised the possibility of ragging being a contributing factor in this unfortunate incident.

In response, the university administration has assembled a team of investigators who are set to present their findings within a two-week timeframe. However, recent updates from the police indicate a preliminary inclination towards the notion that Swapnodeep had "jumped off" the balcony. According to media reports, the young Bengali Program student had engaged in discussions with peers, expressing his distress and longing for an end to his ordeal. Furthermore, his classmates revealed that Swapnodeep had confided in them about experiencing sleep disturbances, potentially linked to ragging.

The grieving father, Ramprasad Kundu, has lodged a formal complaint, alleging that certain individuals among the hostel boarders bear responsibility for his son's untimely demise. Subsequently, the police have initiated legal proceedings under sections 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. Ramprasad Kundu recounted that on the night prior to the incident, Swapnodeep had made a fearful call to his mother, expressing his desire to return to their village.

Details emerging from a social media post by a fellow student suggest that Kundu's passing might have been instigated by harsh treatment from senior students through ragging. According to witnesses, on the night preceding the tragedy, Swapnodeep was purportedly compelled to run barefoot on the dormitory terrace. Tragically, the sequence of events led to his fall from the second floor of the JU main hostel at approximately 11:45 p.m. on Wednesday. He was admitted to a private hospital with multiple injuries and succumbed around 4:30 a.m. the following Thursday. The original autopsy report revealed fractures in his left skull, rib, pelvis, and spine, underscoring the gravity of this heart-wrenching incident.