IIT-Kanpur student hangs self in hostel room
Kanpur (UP) Jan 11: A 31-year-old M.Tech second year student allegedly hanged himself from the ceiling fan in his hostel room at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur, police said on Thursday.
The motive was not immediately clear but a police official said the student had been "temporarily" removed from the course after he failed three exam papers. However, students are usually allowed to retake these exams.
The body of Vikas Kumar Meena, a resident of Meerut, was found hanging in his room on Wednesday, the police said.
Meena was enrolled into an M.Tech course in the Department of Aerospace Engineering in 2021.
During interrogation, other students staying in the hostel told police that on the day of the incident, they found Meena's room locked from inside and he did not respond to their repeated calls, Additional DCP (ADCP) West, Akash Patel said.
Once the hostel authorities were informed, the door was broken open and Meena was found hanging with the ceiling fan, the ADCP said further.
The victim was rushed to the IIT's health centre from where he was taken to Lala Lajpat Rai hospital where he was declared brought dead, Kalyanpur Station House Officer (SHO) Dhananjay Pandey said.
The police are trying to trace a "suicide note" that is being circulated among some people, the ADCP told PTI.
"There is one soft copy, said to be the suicide note, which is circulating among some people but we are yet to get a hard copy. We are tracing it," the ADCP told PTI.
A senior police official pleading anonymity said Meena was "termporarily" terminated after he failed three exam papers,which allegedly pushed him to severe depression and it could be a reason behind the extreme step.
By issuing a press release, IIT-Kanpur administration has mourned the tragic and untimely demise of Meena.
"A forensic team has taken stock of the matter. The institute is awaiting further investigation by the police to determine the likely cause of death," the statement said.
With Vikas' passing, the institute lost a young and promising student, the release added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
