Thrissur: A 25-year-old PhD student from Karnataka was found dead in a pond on the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) campus at Vellanikkara in the early hours of Saturday. Police have registered a case of unnatural death and launched a detailed investigation into the incident.
The deceased has been identified as Kishore Kumar Gowda, a first-year PhD scholar in the Department of Vegetable Science. He was staying at the university hostel.
Student found in campus pond
According to police, Gowda was found in a pond at the Fruit Crops Research Station on the university campus between 12.05 am and 1 am.
Personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services retrieved him from the water and shifted him to Thrissur District Hospital, where doctors declared him dead at 2.50 am.
Police register unnatural death case
Based on a complaint lodged by the assistant warden of the hostel, police have registered a case of unnatural death under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
Officials said a detailed investigation is under way, and the inquest will be conducted after the student’s family arrives from Bengaluru.
Dragon fruit angle under probe
Preliminary investigations suggest that Gowda had gone out to pluck dragon fruit before the incident. However, police said the exact circumstances leading to his death can only be established after a thorough investigation.
Authorities have not ruled out any possibility and are awaiting the findings of the post-mortem examination and other evidence before arriving at any conclusion.
Police have urged the public not to speculate about the cause of death until the investigation is completed.