Assam: NIT students clash with police after suicide on campus
Students at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Silchar's Cachar district, Assam, clashed with the police on Friday night during an agitation after a fellow student reportedly died by suicide at the college hostel. The deceased, who hailed from Arunachal Pradesh, was in his third semester of electrical engineering. He allegedly hung himself after he was denied registration for the ongoing semester due to his back papers.
Protesting students allege police used force
According to the news outlet NDTV, the students were protesting new guidelines introduced by the college administration following the death of the student. The students also claimed they were demonstrating peacefully and wanted to meet with the director of the institute, but they were met by police instead. While stating that the college authorities "didn't even bother" to talk to them, the students alleged that the police lathi-charged them.
Police expect more protests on Saturday
The police also confirmed resorting to mild use of force to disperse the protesting students after tensions inside the campus escalated. While the police recovered the body of the deceased student and sent it for post-mortem, a case of unnatural death has been registered. The institution's current situation is under control; however, police sources said that tensions remain high as more student agitations are expected on Saturday.
Cachar DC provides update on situation
Speaking about the incident, Cachar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rohan Kumar Jha stated, "We got information about the suicide in the evening, and we rushed here. The behavior of the students was a bit unruly; they vandalized a few cars, and the residence of the dean was completely ransacked." "We tried to negotiate with the student for a couple of hours. NIT will form an inquiry committee," Kumar said.
Here's what top NIT Silchar official said
Meanwhile, NIT Silchar Director Dilip Kumar Baidya said, "In the evening, the alleged suicide happened, and we are all very sad about it. We responded promptly." It is also learned that top NIT Silchar officials, Cachar district authorities, and police also had an emergency meeting over the matter and that the institute might stay shut until the situation is under complete control.
Please seek help if you're having suicidal thoughts
Please seek help if you are having suicidal thoughts If you or anyone you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts, you can reach out to AASRA for suicide prevention counseling. Its number is 022-27546669 (24 hours). You can also dial Roshni NGO at +914066202000 or COOJ at +918322252525. Sneha India Foundation, which works 24x7, can be contacted at +914424640050. Vandrevala Foundation's helpline number is +919999666555 (call and WhatsApp).
