Former Jadavpur University student arrested for Nadia teenager's death

A former student of Jadavpur University, who was still residing in the main hostel, was apprehended on Friday (August 11) for his suspected role in the demise of Swapnadip Kundu, an 18-year-old Bengali honours undergraduate student, according to a senior police official.

Police identified the ex-student as Sourabh Chowdhury, who did his MSc in maths in 2022.

Chowdhury was arrested after Swapnadip's father lodged an FIR against him, police said.

"Swapnadip’s father Ramprasad Kundu in his police complaint mentioned the names of a few boarders of that hostel claiming that they were responsible for his son's death. Accordingly, a case under section 302/34 IPC has been started,” the officer said.

Swapnadip, a resident of Bagula in Nadia district, fell from the second-floor balcony of the main hostel building around 11.45 pm on Wednesday and died while undergoing treatment at a hospital at 3.40 am on Thursday, according to police.

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Amid the shock and furore, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose decided to form a high-level committee headed by a former chief justice and present interim VC of a university to study the issues and come up with suggestions to end the menace of ragging during an emergency meeting of teachers in-charge of anti-ragging squads of universities at Raj Bhavan.

A Raj Bhavan statement said it has been also been decided to put an end to the entry of outsiders on university and college campuses which may lead to physical violence and intimidation of freshers.

It has also been decided to constitute a high-level committee headed by the former Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court and current interim vice-chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University Subhro Kamal Mukherjee "for a thorough study of the issue" and frame suggestions to put an end to such practices on the campus, the statement said.

The governor, who is the chancellor of state universities, urged authorities to visit the hostel premises and follow UGC guidelines to ensure the protection of freshers.

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The 18-year-old Bengali Honours undergraduate Swapnadip Kundu, a resident of Bagula in Nadia district, fell from a balcony at the main hostel building around 11.45 pm on August 9 night and died while undergoing treatment at a hospital around 4.30 am on the following day (August 10), according to police.

Fellow first-year student Arpan Majhi alleged that Kundu's death was caused by ragging by a few hostel seniors.

Initial probe revealed that the student was bullied allegedly by some senior boarders of the hostel, police said.

Bose, who is chancellor of the university, visited the hostel and assured Kundu's father of stern action against those responsible for his son's death.

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