Five days after a student died by suicide at the PES College in Bengaluru’s Electronic City, there is no police investigation into the death. This is the fourth such death in the past year at the PES University. The founder of PES Institutions, MR Doreswamy, was an advisor for education reforms to the state government under the previous BJP government.
K Rahul, a sixth-semester BTech student, died by suicide on May 14, Tuesday. A student who spoke to TNM said that Rahul was half an hour late for an exam which was held between 8.30 am to 10.30 am. “He wasn’t allowed to write the exam. I was sitting in a room where I could see him. I saw him standing near the railing for a minute before he jumped at 10.30 am,” the student said.
The student further said that the college authorities behaved callously and allegedly told Rahul he could not write the exam and would not be allowed to sit for placements. “The teachers went to check the body. But five minutes later, everything went on as before. The juniors had classes. It was only late at night, at around 11 pm, that we got news on the college portal,” the student said.
Police sources told TNM that they are currently making inquiries based on a Unnatural Death Report (UDR) and cannot launch a full investigation in the absence of a complaint from the parents.
Four students including Rahul have died by suicide at the PES University in the past nine months. Last July, Aditya Prabhu, a first-year BTech student jumped from the eighth floor of the Girinagar campus. In October 2023, Surya M Achar was found dead at the Electronic City campus, and in January this year, Vignesh K, a student from Dindigul in Tamil Nadu, died by suicide at the same campus.
TNM has sought a response from PES University Registrar KS Sridhar, on the circumstances that led to Rahul’s death, including whether the college has taken measures to sensitise teachers on communicating with students who make mistakes, and whether the university has spoken to students about reaching out for help when in distress. This story will be updated if we receive a response.
Around 100 students staged a protest at Freedom Park on Saturday, May 18, raising slogans against the university and demanding that the university be investigated.
In a press release, the university said that it is cooperating with the police by “providing access, information, and videos to understand what might have transpired.” “We have been looking for answers on what made such an academically strong student take this undesired extreme step,” the press note read.
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 6500022
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm)
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.