Mita Mukherjee

Sourabh Choowdhury, a former student of Jadavpur University was arrested on Friday in connection with the death of Swapnadeep Kundu, a first year student who allegedly jumped to his death from the second floor of a hostel on Wednesday night.

He was arrested after Swapandeep’s father lodged a complaint of murder where he named Chowdury and another student.

Chowdhury had cleared his master’s in mathematics in 2022 but continued to stay in the hostel, the police said.

According to Swapandeep’s father Ramaprasad Kundu, he believes some of the boarders of the university hostel including Chowdhury are responsible for his son’s death.   

Eighteen-year old Swapandeep, from Hanskhali in Nadia district, who joined the university on Monday to study Bengali honours allegedly jumped from the second floor of the hostel building on Wednesday night.

He was taken to KPC Medical College for treatment where he died at 4.30 am on Thursday. Several wounds were visible on his body, the police said.

According to city police sources, Chowdhury was questioned for several hours before he was arrested.

Swapandeep’s father said that he had met Sourabh Chowdury on the day he and Swapandeep went to the campus for his son’s admission. “We were discussing how to find accommodation for my son. While the discussion was going on, Sourabh and some other boys overheard our conversation and approached us saying that we need not  worry as they would arrange his stay at the hostel,” Swapandeep’s father said.

Ramaprasad, who alleged his son had been a victim of ragging, had dropped his son to the university hostel last Sunday, the day before the first-year classes started.

A few hours before the incident, Swapandeep’s phone had been taken away and he had contacted his mother from another phone when he  said that he was scared and would want to leave the place, Swapandeep’s father said.

The names of a number of former students came to surface in connection with the death of Swapandeep. After his death, the authorities of Jadavpur University came under sharp criticism from different circles for allowing former students and outsiders to stay in the hostel.

On Thursday night the university authorities issued a notice asking all former students to leave the campus on the basis of which around 30 former students left the campus on Friday. They have also been barred from entering the campus, students said.

Rajat Ray, the dean of students of Jadavpur University said an anonymous complaint has been lodged in the anti-ragging help desk of University Grants Commission. The university’s anti-ragging squad will start an inquiry into the incident.

Also Read: Murder case started to probe death of first-year student of Jadavpur University