Kochi: A 21-year-old student at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) was found dead in her rented accommodation at Hidayath Nagar in Kalamassery on Thursday afternoon. The deceased has been identified as Darshana Sudharshan, a fourth-year Civil Engineering student and daughter of Sudharshan, residing at Komathuruthil House in Puthuvype.

According to Kalamassery police, the incident came to light around 1 pm when her roommates returned from a university examination. Darshana, who had also been scheduled to appear for a supplementary exam earlier that morning, did not attend the session. Upon finding the hostel room locked from the inside and receiving no response to their knocks, her friends peered through the keyhole and discovered her body. Neighbours subsequently broke open the door and rushed her to the hospital, but she was declared brought dead.

Preliminary police investigations suggest that academic distress may have played a significant role in the tragedy. Darshana was reportedly struggling with exam arrears, which led to a “year-out” status. Although she was technically in her fourth year, she had been writing supplementary subjects alongside her junior batch.

The police said that the student had allegedly not informed her family about her academic struggles or the fact that she was repeating the year. “She was one year behind and hadn't told her family about her failed exams. On Wednesday, it was also the official farewell for her original batch mates, who were completing their course and leaving the campus today,” said a senior police officer.

Friends and the police believe the combination of missing her exams and the emotional weight of seeing her original classmates graduate while she remained behind may have led to the extreme step.

Kalamassery police have registered a case of unnatural death under section 194 of BNSS based on the statement provided by Darshana’s father. While an inquest has been completed, a post-mortem is scheduled for Friday to confirm the exact cause of death. No suicide note was recovered from the scene.

Meanwhile, the University administration has taken the matter seriously. The vice-chancellor, Junaid Bushiri, has directed the chief security officer, Sibichen Joseph, to conduct a formal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the student's death and submit a detailed report. Last week, another CUSAT student was found dead in his hostel room. In that case, too, the police suspected academic backlogs and mental depression as reasons to commit suicide.

Also, a special meeting, convened by the vice-chancellor, has been scheduled for May 5 in the light of recent deaths. Various stakeholders, including the police and municipality councillors, are expected to be present at the meeting.