A former student of architecture at Jadavpur University (JU) was found dead in a pond on the campus on Wednesday afternoon.
JU registrar Snehamanju Basu said those who had accompanied the former student, Muhammad Asif Mandal, 24, to the campus alerted police after he drowned in the pond.
The campus was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday on the occasion of Dol and Holi but many had reportedly gathered to play the festival of colours.
A disaster management team deployed by the police pulled out Asif from the water around 4pm. He was taken to SSKM Hospital, where he was declared dead.
Police said Asif lived at the Government Housing Estate in Behala’s Parnashree in southwest Kolkata.
“I was told by the university’s security personnel that those who accompanied him to the campus called the police. He was from the engineering and technology faculty,” said registrar Basu.
It could not be ascertained whether Asif could swim.
“We will speak to his friends to know whether he could swim and how he fell into the pond,” said a sub-inspector of Jadavpur police station. “He was in a T-shirt and jeans and was still wearing shoes when he was brought out of the water.”
The police have lodged a case of unnatural death.
“We have sought details about the deceased from the university authorities. We also asked them whether Asif used to frequent the campus. We will speak to the university’s guards,” said another police officer.
A teacher of the architecture department said: “Asif graduated last year from the department but had a supplementary examination to clear. He used to visit the office of the controller of examinations regarding this exam. I am not sure whether he finally wrote and cleared the supplementary exam.”
Campus sources said Asif had got a job.
A university official said they don’t have any mechanism to prevent the entry of a former student or any other outsider into the campus.
“Our security personnel warned whoever assembled on the campus on Tuesday (on the occasion of Dol) and Wednesday (on the occasion of Holi) against going near the pond. Students said they would remain alert. But students and outsiders who came to the campus sat on the edge of the pond,” the official said.
A sub-inspector of Jadavpur police station said they engaged divers from the disaster management team to rescue the former student.
“We have not found any external injury on the victim. It appears to be a case of death due to drowning. The body has been sent for post-mortem to know the exact cause of death and whether there was any foul play,” the officer said.
On February 28, a 22-year-old student of Vivekananda College in Thakurpukur drowned in a pond on the campus. He was playing football with friends on the college premises and drowned while trying to fetch the ball which had fallen into the pond.
