Chennai student accused of exam malpractice

Chennai: Final year student of civil engineering Atanu was accused of malpractice in an examination on Thursday morning and the supervisor had seized his answer sheets. After he was asked to leave the examination hall, the student reportedly told the college representatives that he would commit suicide if he was not allowed to write the examination. When he was not allowed to continue to write the paper, he went back to his room and killed himself, police said.

Following his death, over 100 enraged students went to the college to stage a protest. The guards refused to allow them inside the college, but they gained entry from the backside and started damaging college property. They also prevented the police from shifting the body to hospital for post mortem.

After many rounds of negotiations with the students, who were blocking the road in front of the college, additional strength of police was called in at around 11.45 pm to neutralise the situation. Only after police chased the students away with lathis was the body was shifted to Chromepet government hospital for post mortem.

“Students, keeping Atanu’s body on the road, would not allow it to be taken away in the ambulance waiting nearby. So we had to bring in additional strength,” a police officer said. Following the death of the student, the college had declared a holiday on Friday.