Ranchi, Oct 14 A Bihar Police sub-inspector on Wednesday alleged that his 19-year-old son’s death in a hostel room of the Indian Institute of Information Technology here was a “cold-blooded” murder and demanded an inquiry by an SIT.
His son Aditya Kumar, a resident of Bihar’s Purnia district, was found hanging in the hostel room on the night of October 10, with the institute claiming the death as a case of suicide.
Vishnudeo Kumar, an SI posted at the CC Camera Control in Patna, rejected the institute’s claim, citing inconsistencies, including the absence of any ligature mark.
“In a 7-foot-high room, there was a 3.5-foot-high table. The fan hangs one foot below the ceiling. How did a 5.5-foot-tall boy hang himself from the ceiling fan? Whenever someone is found hanged, the tongue protrudes, and the eyes may bulge. No ligature mark was found around my son’s neck,” the deceased’s father claimed.
“No doctor was available on campus. Aditya’s friends told me that he was alive when he was being taken to hospital. Doctors at the health facility declared him dead,” he said.
Kumar claimed that he had a telephonic interaction with his son around 10 pm on October 10 and did not feel that he was under stress.
“It was a cold-blooded murder. I had never imagined that I would lose my son within two months of his admission. I want justice and urge the Jharkhand government to constitute an SIT so that an impartial investigation can be conducted and the truth can come out,” the deceased’s father said.
Aditya was a first-year computer science student at the IIIT Ranchi, and got admitted to the institute in August.
Kumar also said that he left all his son’s belongings, including a laptop, mobile phone, books and other articles, in the hostel room and will not bring them back until an impartial probe into his son’s death is conducted.
“He passed the JEE Mains exam and took admission here. I am ruined. I want justice for my son…” he said.
Kumar also alleged that the local police station asked him to remove the director’s name from a complaint.
“I have filed a complaint against the institute authorities, including the director, for lapses. But the local police station’s officer-in-charge pressured me to remove the director’s name, which I did not,” he said.
Khelgaon Police Station officer-in-charge Nirbhay Kumar told PTI that the police filed an unnatural death case based on the prima facie evidence of the incident.
“Police are investigating the incident thoroughly. If anything suspicious is found or if anyone from the institute’s management played any role in the incident, the case will be converted into an FIR,” the officer said.
Responding to the deceased father’s allegations, a top official of the institute told PTI, “We are deeply saddened by the incident and want a transparent investigation.”
He said Aditya was a good student and had received a scholarship of Rs 14 lakh from the central government.
“Why did he take such a step? What circumstances arose? These should be investigated,” he said.
Rajeev Shrivastav, the director of IIIT Ranchi, has been sent on a 30-day leave.
Prof V M S R Murthy, the current director of IIEST Shibpur, has been given the additional charge as the officiating director of IIIT Ranchi for that period or until further orders, the official said.
(PTI News)
