AMU student dies by suicide during video call with father

20-Year-Old AMU Student Found Dead in Hostel

A 20-year-old final-year diploma student at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) allegedly hanged herself on Monday night in her hostel room. This occurred while she was on a video call with her father, who works in Saudi Arabia, according to police.

Police Response and Investigation

Police arrived at the hostel after being informed and sent the body for a post-mortem examination. The report is still awaited.

University officials stated that the deceased was a student at the Women’s Polytechnic, AMU, and was from Azamgarh district. She was alone in her hostel room because her roommate had not returned after the winter vacation. The university reopened on Monday, but the student had stayed back during the break.

Family Communication Before Incident

According to Rajeev Kumar, the in-charge of Civil Lines police station, no complaint has been received from the family. AMU proctor Professor Mohd Wasim Ali reported that the student had spoken to her brother in Azamgarh before making a video call to her father around 8 PM. During this call, she allegedly expressed her intention to take the extreme step.

Alarmed, her father and brother tried to get help by contacting acquaintances in Aligarh and the university.

Hostel Residents’ Observations

Residents of the hostel later told officials they heard the student speaking loudly on the phone but did not intervene, thinking it was a family matter. The student’s brother also contacted a friend in Aligarh, about 1.5 km from the hostel, asking him to hurry to the location. However, the friend had trouble entering the women’s hostel at night. By the time AMU authorities arrived, the student had already died.

Investigation Details

No suicide note has been found. Police have been informed, and an investigation is ongoing, according to Professor Ali. The student’s father is expected to arrive from Saudi Arabia soon.

While the exact reason for the incident is unclear, sources suggest that the student may have been distressed due to strained relations between her parents. “It is part of the investigation, and no specific reason can be assigned at this stage. All legal formalities are being completed,” the proctor stated. AMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Naima Khatoon visited the hostel with senior university officials.