THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Anoop E V, 56, a professor and head of the Department of Forest Products and Utilisation at the College of Forestry in Thrissur, was found dead after being struck by a train at Pettah in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday morning.
The incident took place around 6:10am when the Thiruvananthapuram Bakery Junction native was hit by the Maveli Express, which runs from Mangaluru Central to Thiruvananthapuram Central.
Anoop, who resides at Vellanikkara in Thrissur, was in Pettah visiting his father, writer E Vasu, who is receiving treatment at KIMS Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. According to reports, Anoop travelled from Thrissur to Thiruvananthapuram with a friend and was later dropped off at Bakery Junction. His family was staying with relatives in Pettah during this visit.
Authorities have indicated that preliminary investigations suggest the possibility of suicide. It is reported that Anoop had been dealing with personal issues and was experiencing depression. The Pettah police have registered a case and are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
Police confirmed that Anoop had been reportedly upset in recent days. “We are looking into the matter,” said a cop. “The family has mentioned that he was troubled.” Anoop has served as the dean of the College of Forestry since 2021 and was a nationally recognised expert in wood anatomy, timber identification, wood quality evaluation, and dendrochronology.
He made significant contributions to the industrial use of coconut timber. Anoop graduated from the College of Forestry in Vellanikkara in 1990, completed his postgraduate degree in 1993, and joined the university in 1994. He earned his doctorate from the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun in 2005.
Anoop is survived by wife, Renuka, and children, Anjana and Arjun.