SAMBALPUR: Mystery shrouds the death of a student of Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) whose body was recovered from under the PC bridge here late in the night on Monday.
The deceased was identified as 22-year-old Anjaneya Dash, a final-year Mechanical Engineering student from Jajpur district. He was residing at Pulastya hostel of the university.
Police sources said it is believed that Dash slipped and fell from the bridge while talking on the phone. The friend he was talking to on the phone, alerted his hostel mates after the call was disconnected abruptly. His friends later found him severely injured and unconscious at around 11.30 pm.
Dash was rushed to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Science and Research (VIMSAR), Burla where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
While police have termed the incident as an accident after preliminary investigation, the student’s family alleged foul play and registered a complaint of murder. A family member who visited the spot claimed that Dash’s death did not appear to be accidental as his shoes were found at a different place while his phone and wallet were missing.
Burla sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Baleswar Giddhi said, “VIMSAR authorities informed police about the death of the VSSUT student at about 12.30 am on Tuesday. We are questioning the students who took Dash to the hospital. Three teams have been formed to investigate the case. CCTV footage from the campus and Burla town is being examined, and the student’s call records will also be verified as part of the probe.”
Burla IIC SK Baliarsingh said the student’s body bore multiple injuries including in the head and fractures in the waist. The death could be accidental, but investigation has been launched on the basis of murder allegation. The exact cause of death will be ascertained after the postmortem report arrives, he added.
Sources said according to the CCTV footage, Dash was last seen on the university premises at around 8 pm.