A 23-year-old B.Tech student allegedly died by suicide at a friend’s flat in Ghaziabad’s Gangapuram area on Thursday morning, police said. While the victim’s family has alleged foul play, investigators said no evidence of suspicious circumstances has emerged so far and the room where he was found hanging was bolted from the inside.
Police said the victim – from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh – was pursuing a BTech degree at a private university in Chandigarh. According to investigators and family members, he had travelled to Ghaziabad on Wednesday to meet friends.
Among those present at the flat was a 22-year-old BCA student from Gajraula, with whom the victim was previously in a relationship, according to an investigator privy with the case details. Also at the apartment were a male friend and the woman’s female roommate. Police said all except the roommate were childhood friends.
The three have been detained for questioning.
“In the morning, the woman found that the room she was sleeping in was locked from the outside. She called her roommate, who was asleep in another room, to open it. Later, they found the victim hanging in another room which was bolted from the inside,” said Harendra Malik, station house officer, Masuri police station.
Police rushed to the spot after receiving information and sent the body for post-mortem examination following a forensic inspection of the flat.
During the investigation, officers learned that the victim and the BCA student had ended their relationship around three months ago. “Initial questioning suggests there may have been a dispute. Following this, he appears to have taken the extreme step during the night,” an officer aware of the case details, who sought to remain anonymous, said.
The victim is survived by his parents and an elder sister. His father is a teacher.
However, family members questioned the circumstances surrounding his death. “My nephew left home on Wednesday after telling his family that their mutual friend had invited him to attend an event,” the victim’s uncle said. “On Thursday at around 7.30am, he spoke to his father and said he was leaving for the programme. About an hour later, we received a call from his friend informing us that he had died.”
The uncle said the family had never noticed any signs of emotional distress. “He was good in his studies and behaved normally. There must be some matter involving his friends. We suspect foul play and want a fair investigation,” he said.
Police, however, said the evidence gathered so far does not suggest foul play. “The room where the man hanged himself was locked from the inside. No injury marks or anything suspicious have been found so far,” SHO Malik said. He added that the victim had allegedly locked the room from inside while the woman and the male friend were asleep in another room.
Bhaskar Verma, assistant commissioner of police (Modinagar), said investigators were examining all aspects of the case. “It has emerged that the victim had a dispute with the woman during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. The three are being questioned, and further investigation is underway,” Verma said.
Police said no FIR has been registered so far and the inquiry is continuing.
