A first year student of Pondicherry Central University allegedly committed suicide near the Kannadasan Boys’ Hostel on the campus on Thursday night.
The victim, Sashi Bori, 21, hailing from Guwahati in Assam, was found hanging from a neem tree near the hostel.
Police are yet to ascertain the reason and are probing whether the death is linked to the Blue Whale game.
Director-General of Police S.K. Gautam told The Hindu that the police were still trying to ascertain the exact reason behind the death. “The cyber unit is yet to verify his phone and his social media account. There was no tattoo or sign of injuries on his body. The investigation is still at a preliminary stage,” he said.
Sashi Bori had joined first year Master of Business Administration in General Management in the university in July.
He was staying in a dormitory in the Kannadasan boys’ hostel. A student who found Bori hanging from the tree, alerted the hostel warden and security personnel.
Dormitory searched
A police team from Kalapet rushed to the spot and sent the body for post-mortem to the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital in Kathirgamam. The police checked his dormitory after rumours spread that his death was linked to the Blue Whale. The game is believed to have originated in Russia and involves 50 extreme tasks which a participant is required to undertake and eventually culminates in his or her suicide. Preliminary investigations by the police revealed that Bori was staying in the dormitory along with a few other students from Assam.
While first year students stayed in the hostels on the campus, others who didn’t get accommodation stayed in the dormitory. A hostel inmate said that Bori was an introvert and usually kept to himself.
“In the last one week, he remained very quiet. There are some indications that he was playing some game on his mobile and laptop and his last WhatsApp status on his mobile was image of a whale. A few of his friends had reportedly seen the status on his mobile. But there is no evidence that he was playing the Blue Whale,” the student on anonymity said.
Police said Bori’s parents have been informed of his death. They are expected to take his body to their native after the post-mortem.
Tamil Nadu helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050 offer counselling for those in distress.
