KALLAKURUCHI: Three days after a first-year college student was found dead in his hostel room in Chinnasalem, Tirukoilur's Deputy Superintendent of Police, E Manoj Kumar, has been assigned.
The deceased, identified as P Abith Kumar (19), of Omangalam near Virudachalam, was studying at a private engineering college in Chinnasalem. On Friday morning, he returned to his room after classes, police said. When Abith's friends went to his room in the afternoon, they discovered it was locked from inside. Despite knocking multiple times, there was no response. They notified the college administration and the door was broken open to find Abith dead, the police added.
On information, police from Chinnasalem arrived at the scene and sent the body to the Government hospital in Kallakurichi for a postmortem examination. Kallakurichi SP Mohanraj inspected the area and conducted preliminary inquiries. Meanwhile, Abith's parents and relatives raised suspicions about the circumstances of his death and refused to take his body. On Saturday, they staged a blockade at the entrance of the hospital but agreed to claim the body after a dialogue with the police, on Saturday night.
On Sunday, DSP Manoj Kumar was assigned the case. A police team initiated inquiries with the college's faculty, students, and staff, as well as Abith's family members. They are also awaiting the autopsy report, said police.