Bhubaneswar: A first-year B.Tech student was found dead under suspicious circumstances at a private engineering college in Bhubaneswar last night.

The deceased has been identified as Biswas Swain, a hostel inmate of the engineering college. According to initial reports, the incident is suspected to be a case of suicide, though the exact cause of death is yet to be confirmed.

Police from Infocity Police Station reached the spot and have launched an investigation. The student, who hailed from Jagatsinghpur, was rushed to a private hospital in Chandrasekharpur, where doctors declared him dead.

Family members of the deceased alleged mental harassment by college authorities. Biswas’ father claimed that his son had spoken to the family around 10 pm on Saturday. Earlier, at around 9:36 pm, the family had received a message from the college stating that Biswas was not present in the hostel.

When contacted, Biswas reportedly told his family that he had been marked absent as he had fallen asleep in the hostel. However, within a short span, the family was informed by college authorities that he had died. The college later claimed that the student died by suicide around 11 pm.

Raising questions over the sequence of events, the father alleged negligence on the part of the college. “How could such an incident happen within an hour, and why was there no monitoring?” he questioned.

The incident has sparked protests inside the hostel, with students reportedly raising slogans through the night. The family has demanded a thorough probe into the matter, alleging negligence by the institution.

Police said further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding the death.