GITAM university VC, others booked over ‘death’ of BTech student

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Doddaballapur Rural police, on Thursday, filed a case against eight persons including the Vice Chancellor, president and security in-charge of Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) University, in connection with the suspicious death of a BTech student.

A 19-year-old student, Dasari Brahma Sai Reddy, died after he fell to his death from the sixth floor of his hostel block in Nagadevanahalli late on Tuesday night.

The student hailed from Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh and based on a complaint filed by the parents of the student, the police have registered an FIR in the case.

It was revealed that the victim was studying in first year and he had gone to the sixth floor which is underconstruction, around 7 pm.

It is not ascertained whether his death was an accident. Preliminary investigation suggested that the place near the window on the sixth floor was not slippery.

However there were no proper security arrangements to prevent anyone from entering the place. Reddy was shifted to a private hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The hostel has 14 floors and Reddy lived in the fifth. Reddy’s mobile phone was found in his trouser pocket and was broken, police said.

The family of the boy clarified that there was no tension in the family and that he had not complained of ragging to them, adding that they are shocked by the incident.

The case is registered under the IPC Section 304 for culpable homicide, police sources stated.

Fourth such incident

Gitam University is located near Nagadenahalli Doddaballapur, 44 kilometres from Bengaluru. Police sources explained that this is the fourth such incident of death of a student studying at the university.

On April 27, 2022, a 24-year-old Uganda-based Asiina Uwase, died after falling from the sixth floor of the GITAM hostel building.

Two other students pursuing their education from the same university in Hyderabad died after jumping in front of a moving train.

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