Goa: A 20-year-old female student of BITS Pilani’s Goa campus was found dead in her hostel room late Sunday night, in what police suspect to be a case of suicide. The incident marks the sixth reported student suicide at the institute’s Vasco campus over the past two years, raising fresh concerns over student well-being.
The deceased has been identified as Vishnavi Jitesh, a third-year Electronics and Communication Engineering student. According to police officials, she was found hanging from a ceiling fan with a bedsheet in her hostel room.
A senior police officer said the Verna police station received information around 11.30 pm on Sunday about the incident. A team was immediately rushed to the spot, and preliminary procedures were carried out. No suicide note has been mentioned so far, and further investigation is underway.
Police said Vishnavi hailed from Bengaluru and was pursuing her undergraduate engineering degree at the institute. Her body has been sent for post-mortem examination as part of the investigation process.
The issue of repeated student suicides at the BITS Pilani Goa campus had recently been raised in the Goa Legislative Assembly during the winter session. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had then stated that academic pressure, particularly examinations, was cited as a key factor behind such incidents.
The institute has not yet released an official statement regarding the latest incident. Police officials said they are examining all aspects related to the case and have assured appropriate action following the investigation.
