Manipuri student found dead in JNU hostel room, police suspect suicide
JR Philemon Chiru was pursuing a PhD at the university and had locked himself in his room for several days, students said.
A PhD student at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, was found dead in his hostel room on campus on Tuesday night. He was identified as JR Philemon Chiru and his family lives in Manipur’s Senapati district, police told The Times of India. While the cause of his death is unclear, students said he had locked himself up in his room for the past three days, and police are investigating whether it was a case of suicide.
On Tuesday, some students noticed a foul smell coming from his room, and when they checked under his door, saw him lying face down, The Indian Express reported. Security officials later broke open the door. His body has been taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for a post-mortem examination. An initial investigation by the police suggested there were no signs of injury.
The Delhi Police North East Cell is in touch with his family. He had enrolled in JNU’s Centre for West Asian Studies one year ago, officials said.