IISc student found dead in his hostel room

Bengaluru: A PhD student of Indian Institute of Science (IISc) was found dead in his hostel room on Monday. The deceased, identified as Rajarshi Bhattacharya, a native of Kolkata, was a third-year PhD student at the Department of Organic Chemistry.

His friends found the body of Rajasrshi and alerted the IISc administration and police. The samples of the medicines he consumed have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis, Sadashivanagar police said.

"We are investigating how he died. Prima facie, it appears to be a case of suicide," said the police who have registered a case of unnatural death based on a complaint from IISC. The body was handed over to family members on Monday night after autopsy.

In a statement, the IISc management stated, "It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of a student by suicide. The student was pursuing a PhD from the Department of Organic Chemistry. We express our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the student."

The institute added that the mental health and well-being of students and community members are of critical importance, especially given the prevailing Covid-19 situation. "We urge IISc community to seek help by calling 24×7 emergency helpline: 080-47113444," it said.