Bhubaneswar, May 28: An engineering student committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan of his hostel room late last night. The deceased left behind a suicide note saying he had not done well in his examinations.

Deepak Kumar Swain, 21, who hailed from Linkudipada in Nayagarh district, was a third-year electrical engineering student at a private college in Mahatapalla on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. He stayed at the college hostel in Kalinga Vihar.

Tamando police recovered Swain’s body from his hostel room this morning and sent it for post-mortem. Swain had hung himself using a towel. A forensic team later visited the spot.

Swain’s roommate said when he returned to their room from the hostel study last night, he found the door locked from inside.

“I knocked several time. When no one opened the door, I informed other boarders and the hostel superintendent. We broke open the door and saw Swain hanging from the ceiling fan. We immediately informed the police,” said the roommate who preferred not to be named.

The students were planning a demonstration but were stopped by the college authorities. Swain’s family members reached the hostel late in the night. His uncle Alekh Lenka said he was the first child of his parents and that he had been upset for not doing well in his engineering examinations. He was supposed to go home on Wednesday.

“He was not the suicidal type. We are not sure what caused his death,” said Lenka.

Inspector in charge of Tamando police station Rajat Ray said Swain had failed in a few subjects in the last two semesters. “His friends and teachers said that he was upset over his poor results. The college authorities had installed closed-circuit television cameras in examination halls, which was putting even more pressure on the students. Disappointment caused by poor performance might have forced him to commit suicide,” said Ray.

Sources said Swain had failed in eight subjects in last two semesters and was also not doing well in the current semester examinations.

Debi Prasad Bhatta, an assistant professor and media co-ordinator of the college, said: “We do not know the reason behind his suicide. The police are investigating and let them find out the cause.”

He added that it was the decision of Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) to install CCTV cameras to prevent malpractice by students during exams.

Some student leaders of BPUT, who had surrounded the post-mortem room at Capital Hospital, alleged that lack of trained teaching faculty and poor teaching standards in many engineering colleges forced students to adopt unfair means during examinations.

“We are not against the installation of CCTV cameras in examination halls. But we want colleges to have qualified teachers and they must impart quality teaching. Otherwise more students will take such steps in the coming days,” said Rucky Das, a student leader.

Swain’s suicide is not the first case of its kind.

On April 18 this year, a first-year mechanical engineering student of a private college had hanged herself in her hostel room following alleged mental torture and harassment by an employee of the college regarding non-payment of fees.

On January 2, a third-year electronic and telecommunication engineering student had committed suicide by jumping in front of a speeding train near Lingaraj station.

In his suicide note, he had complained about college authorities demanding more fees.