On the morning of Friday, November 10, it was found that a student of Azim Premji University fell from the 16th floor of the university in Sarjapur, between 7.30 am and 8 am. The deceased has been identified as M Ashwin Nambiar, a 21-year-old final-year BSc student and a resident of Hyderabad who was residing in the hostel on the university premises, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
The police said that no note was found and that though they suspect suicide, the reason is yet to be ascertained. The police also said, “We got information around 10.45 am. We are yet to verify if the student died by suicide or if there is any other reason behind the death. The body was shifted to the mortuary of Oxford Medical College in Attibele.”
Ashwin’s father Manohar Nambiar, a retired Indian Navy officer, told The New Indian Express they received a call from the university around 10.30 am, saying the incident happened between 7.30 am and 8 am. “We don’t know what the reason could be. We are based out of Hyderabad and landed in Bengaluru around 7 pm. Ashwin is one of my two children, he was a bright student. The reason can be ascertained only after talking to the university management and police. We were informed that the body is in the mortuary,” he said.
“I was doing some work in the lobby of the residence building, when we heard a thud outside. I went and saw the dead body of one of my friends. We had no idea he was suicidal, but he just jumped from the 16th floor and died. The mood here at the residence is very low, we are all shocked that he would take his own life. It’s a critical failure for the university support infrastructure,” one of the victim’s friends said in his social media post.
The university, in a statement, said, “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the unfortunate demise of a student at the University campus. Our hearts go out to his family and friends who knew and loved him. We are doing everything possible to support his immediate family at this time of grief. We request that we respect the family’s privacy during this time.”
Following the incident, classes were called off at the university.
Sarjapur police registered a case of unnatural death, and are investigating the matter from all angles. The possibility of foul play is yet to be ruled out, as the investigation continues.