Overview
- Arjun Sabu, a 26-year-old PhD scholar, was found dead at a rented flat in Verna on Wednesday, and police recovered a purported suicide note.
- Investigators opened an inquiry and sent the body for a post-mortem, with the South Goa collector calling the preliminary finding a case of suicide.
- This is the seventh student death tied to the Goa campus since December 2024, with most earlier cases reported inside the campus and this case occurring off campus.
- District officials warned of a possible contagion effect in which repeated exposure to suicides can raise risk for vulnerable students, and they cautioned against sensational reporting that can spur imitation.
- A fact-finding committee earlier flagged heavy workloads, performance pressure, isolation and sleep problems on campus, and the institute says it has added mental-health staff, launched a 24x7 support line and eased some academic requirements.