IIT Student Found Dead in Vizag Lodge
By Express News Service - VISAKHAPATNAM
Published: 19th January 2014 08:14 AM
Last Updated: 19th January 2014 08:14 AM
A 26-year-old student of IIT-Mumbai was found dead in a hotel room under suspicious circumstances at Dwarakanagar here on Saturday.
Police suspect suicide but did not find any suicide note on him. The youth’s parents, who live in Hyderabad, have been informed of the death.
S Sivateja checked into Room No. 102 of Ashwini Lodge at Dwarakanagar on Thursday (Jan 16) afternoon.
He came out on Friday asking the staff for a water bottle but had not been seen ever since. When the staff went to his room to enquire about lunch and dinner, he did not respond.
The room cleaning staff went to the room on Saturday morning around 8.30 but the door bell nor a hard banging on the door elicited no response.
Suspecting something wrong, the hotel staff informed the Four Town police who broke open the door and found Sivateja’s body leaning on the bathroom door.
His head was wrapped with a plastic cover which was taped around the neck, making its removal difficult. The police suspect that the deceased tried to commit suicide by asphyxiating himself using the plastic cover.
Upon searching him, the police found the dismantled components of his cellphone, an identity card and other personal belongings. They reassembled the components of the cellphone, got the phone number and informed his parents of his death.
Speaking to Express, Sivateja’s relative Rami Reddy said that Sivateja was a brilliant student and was doing PhD in electronics and communications engineering at IIT-Mumbai.
When he did not respond to their calls, his parents went to Mumbai from Hyderabad on January 16 and lodged a missing complaint with the police. They learnt that he had not been seen on the campus since January 13, Reddy said.
Doubts are being raised over the reasons for his death as Sivateja could have committed suicide in his room on the campus in Mumbai if he wanted to and had no reason to go all the way to Vizag.
Four Town police sub-inspector S Somayajulu told Express that Sivateja’s parents lodged a missing complaint with the Mumbai police a couple of days ago after he had gone out of contact with them.
While the police are yet to ascertain Sivateja’s purpose of visit to Vizag, they suspect that he might have come to meet someone as he took a double bedroom though he came alone. He carried a small luggage and paid an advance of Rs 500 towards room rent.
Basing on preliminary investigation, police think Sivateja committed suicide. Tbey launched an investigation to determine the right cause of death.
