LUCKNOW: A 19-year-old first-year BA student of Lucknow University was found dead in his hostel room on Sunday afternoon. Police said preliminary findings suggest the student died by suicide.
The deceased, Naveen Kumar, was a Dalit student from Ballia and was pursuing BA (NEP) with history, Hindi and political science. He was staying at Subhash Hostel on the university campus.
Naveen, the eldest of three siblings, had visited his native village on February 19 and returned to Lucknow on February 26 to appear for the RBI office attendant examination scheduled on Sunday.
Hostel inmates said they knocked on his door around 8 am but received no response and assumed he was asleep. When repeated attempts to contact him failed by around 12.30 pm, they informed hostel provost Mahendra Kumar.
Police were called, and the room was opened in the presence of university authorities. Naveen was found hanging from a ceiling hook.
Officials said his mobile phone was plugged in for charging and music was playing inside the room. According to police, he had placed his study table on the bed to reach the ceiling hook, which was nearly 15 feet high. No suicide note was recovered from the spot.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Mahanagar) Ankit Kumar said the case appeared to be a suicide and that the student was reportedly under depression. Naveen’s roommate had left for his village to celebrate Holi.
The body has been handed over to the family. No complaint has been filed so far.
Fellow hostel inmates described Naveen as quiet and introverted, adding that he seemed to be under stress in recent weeks. They told police he had gone missing for two days earlier after switching off his phone and did not explain his absence upon returning.
Police sources indicated that financial difficulties and family-related concerns may have been troubling him. Before returning to the hostel, he had reportedly informed his family that he would appear for the competitive examination on Sunday.
Authorities said further investigation is underway.
