CHENNAI: A first year engineering student of Sri Sairam Engineering College, East Tambaram committed suicide on Friday by jumping into a well in his college campus. Preliminary probe showed he took the step as he was upset over having to bring his parents to meet the college authorities for skipping internal exams.
T Abhinath, of Perambalur district, was studying mechanical engineering and was a hostel resident.
According to police, the teenager, a first generation graduate student from his family, wanted to study medicine. "Though he got an chance to join a veterinary degree course, he was made to join engineering instead against his wishes," police said.
On Friday morning, he was seen sitting on the wall near the security room and was asked to leave by the guards there, police said. A few hours later, he jumped into the well. Later his body was fished out and Kundrathur police moved his body to a private medical college hospital nearby.
Probe showed that the boy had failed to clear his exams after which the college authorities asked him to bring his parents. He was also chided for not taking the internal exams and staying back in the hostel, police said.
Speaking to Express, police said the boy was afraid of his father and was upset when the college asked him to bring his parents.
"He seemed to be a good student. But as he was from Perambalur, he couldn't handle the pressures in a city institution. He skipped the internal exams. The first time he was let off with a warning but the college had asked him to bring his parents when he skipped a test again," police said.
The management meanwhile declared a holiday and asked the other hostel residents to vacate. Students alleged that the management created a bomb scare to ensure that the students vacated the premises and tried to cover up the suicide.
Students from the hostel block where Abhinath was staying were asked to stay back for inquiry. Kundrathur police have registered a case and are probing.