Probe into 5th BITS student death still pending after four months

MARGAO
More than four months after the death of 20-year-old Rishi Nair, a second-year student of BITS Pilani, questions continue to mount over the status and pace of the official inquiry ordered by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
Nair died in mid-September on the BITS Pilani campus, marking the fifth student death within the institute. A post-mortem examination revealed the presence of a mix of narcotic substances and prescription drugs in his system. Following the incident, the Chief Minister directed South Goa District Collector Egna Cleetus, IAS, to conduct a detailed probe into the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
However, over four months later, uncertainty persists over whether the inquiry has been concluded, whether it has yielded any new findings, and whether authorities have acted on its recommendations.
Soon after the incident, Cleetus constituted the Supreme Court-mandated District Level Monitoring Committee on student mental health and suicide prevention. While she has confirmed that a preliminary report has been submitted to the State government, she has declined to make its contents public, citing confidentiality.
According to the Collector, BITS Pilani has since implemented several measures based on the committee’s recommendations, including the introduction of a 24x7 online counselling facility on campus.
The issue has regained urgency following the recent death of a female student, raising fresh questions about why the Chief Minister-ordered inquiry into Nair’s death has still not been formally concluded.
When asked about the delay, the Collector stated that the final report is yet to be submitted, as she is awaiting the forensic report. “I have already submitted the preliminary report to the government. We have also ensured that BITS Pilani has put in place a 24x7 online counselling facility within the campus, besides other measures,” she said.
However, the delay has thrown up questions, particularly as the autopsy report had already indicated that Nair’s death was caused by a combination of sedatives, stimulants, and recreational drugs. Medical findings suggested that the substance mix may have triggered vomiting, followed by aspiration ” a fatal condition in which vomit enters the lungs during sleep.
Concerns have also been raised about the progress of the police investigation. After the post-mortem confirmed drug consumption, South Goa District Superintendent of Police Tikam Singh Verma had stated that efforts were underway to trace the source of the drugs. However, there has been no public update on whether any progress has been made.
The absence of information has fuelled apprehensions that the source of the drugs may remain unidentified, as has often been the case in previous drug-related investigations.
Meanwhile, even as the father of the female student who died on the BITS Pilani campus on Sunday night has taken possession of her mortal remains and returned home, several questions remain unanswered regarding the spate of student deaths at the premier institution.
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Forensic doctor with vital insights not consulted in BITS probes
MARGAO: If there is one expert uniquely placed to shed light on the circumstances leading to the deaths of six students at BITS Pilani, it is Associate Professor of Forensic Science Dr Madhu Ghodkirekar, Head of Department, Forensic, South Goa District Hospital, Margao.
Dr Ghodkirekar has personally interacted with the family members of all six deceased students during post-mortem examinations.
Yet, in what appears to be a glaring omission or otherwise, Dr Ghodkirekar has not been approached by any inquiry panel constituted to examine the deaths, including the probe ordered into the case of Rishi Nair.
“I have no idea whether any inquiry is underway into Rishi Nair’s death. So far, no one has approached me to seek my inputs or to shed light on the possible reasons behind the suicides,” Dr Ghodkirekar told The Goan.
Sources pointed out that Dr Ghodkirekar had close interactions with the parents of nearly all the deceased students during the medico-legal process. As part of standard forensic protocol, surgeons engage with family members to gather contextual information that may help establish the circumstances surrounding the death.
“As a medico-legal surgeon, we interact with the parents and relatives of the victims during the post-mortem examination. We clarify certain aspects with them in each individual case to understand the reasons and circumstances that may have led to the students’ deaths,” he said.
The apparent failure to consult a forensic expert who had direct engagement with the victims’ families has raised questions about the comprehensiveness and depth of the ongoing inquiries into the series of student deaths at the premier institute.