Anamika Mondal, a third-year English honours student at Jadavpur University who was found dead in a campus pond on Thursday night, died by drowning, according to the preliminary post-mortem report.
Police confirmed there were no internal or external injuries. Water had entered her lungs, they said. A viscera test will determine whether any substances were involved.
Anamika, 22, a resident of Nimta on the northern fringes of the city, had told her family she would be home late as she was attending a cultural programme on campus. She was at “Ruhaniyat,” a three-day inter-college festival organised by the JU Drama Club, being held in the parking area near the UG Arts Building.
Although the event had permission to run from 4pm to 8pm, it continued much later, prompting day scholars like Anamika to stay back.
Around 10pm, Anamika was last seen heading to the ladies’ washroom near the arts faculty students’ union room, around 100 metres from the parking lot. The police suspect she slipped and fell into the pond, known as the Jheel, around 10.15pm, possibly through an unfenced portion of the bank. She was rushed to KPC Medical College, where she was declared dead.
The area lacks CCTV surveillance, leaving the police dependent on student accounts. An unnatural death case has been registered at Jadavpur police station.
“We will find out how an event that was supposed to end by 8pm was allowed to continue late into the night. Why did no one stop it? We will also examine if there was use of alcohol or other substances,” said a senior officer.
The tragedy has once again highlighted the lack of safety and discipline on campus. Such incidents trigger brief outrage but rarely lead to lasting change.
Anamika was a good student and known for her love of music — Bob Dylan and Kabir Suman. “She often sang Suman’s Shara dao and Haal chhero na bandhu on campus. She liked watching films like La La Land and Manchester by the Sea, and she loved cooking. She was full of life,” one of her classmates said. Anamika was also a familiar face in student protests.
Her father, Arnab Mondal, said: “We want to know how she died. We hope the police investigation will bring us answers.” Her mother was too distraught to speak.
The university issued a circular on Friday evening, tightening campus access rules. “Henceforth, to enter the university campus, two-wheelers and four-wheelers must have a JU parking sticker issued by the university and displayed prominently... Use of narcotics/alcohol and other illegal substances or any illegal activity in any part of the campus is prohibited,” it stated.
“Trespassing, including morning and evening walking and using the university premises as thoroughfare is strictly prohibited. All individuals who want to enter the university campus for any purpose between 7pm to 7am must carry valid identity card issued by Jadavpur University authority.”
A similar circular was issued in August 2023, after a first-year student died falling from a hostel balcony, allegedly while trying to escape ragging.