Mita Mukherjee

The family of Swapandeep Kundu, 18, a first-year student of Jadavpur University who had allegedly jumped to death on Wednesday night, has lodged an FIR with the local police station suspecting foul play.

On the basis of the complaint lodged by his family, a murder case was started on Friday. After preliminary investigation the police suspect that there could be involvement of multiple persons behind the incident, according to sources in Lalbazar the Kolkata city police headquarters.

Swapnadeeep was found lying unconscious and profusely bleeding in front of hostel in A-2 block where he stayed in a room on Wednesday night. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he died on Thursday morning. Police said it appears from circumstantial evidence that the student had jumped  off the balcony of the second floor.

The family members of Swapandeep have demanded punishment for all those who were responsible for his death.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee called up Swapandeep’s father Ramprasad Kundu and assured him that the culprits will be punished.  

The police said the dean of students of the university and superintendent of the hostel will be summoned to Lalbazar for interrogation.

Swapandeep’s family members said they suspected he was ragged. He had come to stay in the hostel only on Monday to study Bengali honours. Some students alleged that he was forced to run naked on the hostel terrace on Wednesday night.  

Swapandeep’s father told the police that his son had called up his mother several times on Wednesday evening saying that he was feeling scared and would return to his home in Hanskhali in Nadia district from where he hailed.

According to the police, some students have alleged that they had alerted the dean of students about a trouble going on in the hostel on Wednesday night. The police will examine the allegations and find out whether adequate action was taken after receiving the complaint from the students.

Governor C. V. Ananda Bose who had visited the campus on Thursday night, called a meeting with teachers of Jadavpur University at Raj Bhavan on Friday morning to discuss how to stop the menace of ragging on the campus. Incidents of ragging are not new at the institution which is known as one of the best state-aided universities in the state and in the country.

 The university authorities have also set up a committee to probe the incident alongside the police inquiry. The probe panel has been asked to submit the report within 15 days.

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