A 20-year-old engineering student from Arunachal Pradesh was found dead at a rented house in Kothamangalam near Ernakulam, Kerala, police said on Sunday. The student, identified as Michi Marpu, was pursuing his third year of B Tech at MA College of Engineering, Kothamangalam.
Marpu, a resident of Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh's Papum Pare district, was found at the rented accommodation where he lived with his college mates at Kozhipilly near Kothamangalam on Saturday evening.
Student found with rope around neck
According to police, Marpu was found lying on the floor of the room with a rope tied around his neck. He was taken to Kothamangalam Taluk Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Police suspect that Marpu may have attempted to hang himself from the roof of the room, but the rope broke, after which he was found on the floor.
A three-page note, written in English and Hindi, was also recovered from his room, police said.
Police suspect academic pressure
Police said Marpu may have taken the extreme step fearing that he would lose an academic year after securing low marks in some subjects. However, police have stressed that a detailed investigation is required to establish the circumstances that led to his death. The suspected reason has not been conclusively established. A postmortem examination will be conducted after the student's relatives reach Kothamangalam, police said.
Students plan protest over credit requirement
The incident has also led to concerns among students at MA College of Engineering. Students have decided to stage a protest, alleging that the college's minimum credit requirement is higher than that followed by other engineering colleges in the state. SFI and KSU leaders at the college told reporters that MA College of Engineering follows an autonomous scheme and has set the minimum requirement at 22 credits. They claimed that engineering colleges affiliated with Kerala Technological University have a minimum requirement of 18 credits. The college had not issued an immediate reaction to the allegations.
Kothamangalam Police register unnatural death case
The Kothamangalam Police have registered a case of unnatural death and launched an investigation. Officials are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding Marpu's death, the contents of the note recovered from his room and other evidence as part of the probe.
Police will also determine the sequence of events leading up to the student's death. The postmortem findings are expected to provide further information as the investigation progresses. At present, police have said that the circumstances behind the death require a detailed probe, while the allegations raised by students regarding the college's credit requirements remain to be addressed by the institution.
(With inputs from PTI)
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