In a tragic incident, an Andhra student at the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) in Varanasi, allegedly killed himself on Tuesday, after setting himself on fire and jumping from the balcony of his hostel room.
According to reports, Dara J Bhim Raju hailed from Nellore and was pursuing a course in mining engineering. He was in his second year.
Other students rushed to the spot when they heard Raju's screams and he was admitted in the Sir Sundar Lal Hospital, BHU, where he succumbed to his wounds.
While no suicide letter has been found, the police suggest that he was reportedly upset over his poor grades in a recent examination.
Speaking to the Times of India, Station officer (SO) Lanka Devendra Singh said, “Our initial investigation says Raju was under depression. He was an average student till the last semester, but his grades started dropping thereafter."
Raju was also a Dalit. PTI reported that the police locked Raju's hostel room, and it would be opened only when his parents arrive.
“The family received a call from one of Raju’s hostel mates in the morning and the college authorities have not responded to the calls. His uncle, staying in Hyderabad, has left for Varanasi in the afternoon,” Rajasekhar, a local resident, told Hindustan Times.
The HT report adds that Raju’s family, suspect that his caste could be the reason behind his death.
Further details are awaited.