Team Goemkarponn
SANCOALE: In yet another tragic incident highlighting the growing crisis of student mental health, a 20-year-old female student of BITS Pilani was found dead in her hostel room late on Sunday night, in what police suspect to be a case of suicide.
The deceased has been identified as Vaishnavi, daughter of Jitesh, a third-year student of Electronics and Communication Engineering. According to police sources, she allegedly ended her life by hanging herself from a ceiling fan using a bedsheet.
Vaishnavi was a resident of 142, 5th Cross, Reliable Residency, Haralur HFR Post, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Verna Police said the incident came to light after they received a late-night phone call from Arjun Halankar, PRO of BITS Pilani, reporting a suspected suicide on the campus. Police rushed to the spot and conducted a preliminary investigation.
“A case of unnatural death has been registered and an inquiry has been initiated. The exact circumstances leading to the incident are not yet known,” a Verna Police official said, adding that further investigation is underway to ascertain the reasons behind the extreme step.
The incident has once again sent shockwaves across the campus and revived concerns over student well-being, academic pressure and mental health support systems at premier educational institutions.
This is the sixth reported student suicide at BITS Pilani since December 2024.
In December 2024, Om Priyan Singh, a second-year BE Computer Science and MSc Chemistry student, died by suicide.
In March 2025, Atharv Desai, a third-year dual-degree student, also ended his life.
In May 2025, Krishna Kasera, a second-year dual-degree student (MSc Chemistry & BE Electrical and Instrumentation), was found dead.
In August 2025, Kushagra Jain, a third-year Economics and Computer Science student, was discovered dead in his hostel room.
In September 2025, Rishi Nair, a second-year MSc Physics student, allegedly died by suicide.
The repeated incidents have raised serious questions about stress, isolation and the adequacy of counselling mechanisms available to students. Calls are growing louder for institutions to strengthen mental health outreach, early intervention systems and student support frameworks.
Meanwhile, police have stated that all angles will be examined as part of the ongoing inquiry.
