PANAJI: South Goa Collector Egna Cleetus has flagged a possible “suicide contagion” or cluster effect in the repeated student deaths reported at BITS Pilani, while confirming that police are investigating the death of a 26-year-old PhD scholar found at a rented flat in South Goa today.
The deceased, Arjun Sabu from Kerala, a second-year research scholar, was found dead at a residence located behind the institute campus. A suicide note was reportedly recovered from the scene. Officials said preliminary findings indicate suicide, but the final cause will be confirmed after the postmortem and further investigation.
Speaking on the incident, the Collector said the police had received information around 11.30 am that there was a case of student death reported from BITS Pilani. "The person was a PhD scholar staying off campus in a PG. The preliminary finding is that it is a case of suicide, and a police investigation is currently underway,” she stated.
The Collector said this is the second such case reported this year, while four similar deaths occurred last year. “Because of the frequent cases of student deaths reported there, district-level, state-level, and national-level committees have visited the campus,” she added.
She further pointed to findings from multiple inquiry teams, stating, “In all the committees and during the investigation, the main finding is that there is a case of suicide contagion or cluster effect happening.” She explained that this refers to situations where repeated exposure to suicide-related incidents can increase vulnerability among stressed or at-risk individuals.
According to her, a detailed report on student suicides at the institute was submitted to the government earlier this year. She said the report highlighted gaps in mental health support on campus, including inadequate counselling resources at the time of initial inspections.
She added that the institution has since strengthened its mental health framework by introducing 24/7 counselling support, increasing staffing, and making academic adjustments, such as increasing electives and reducing the compulsory exam load. However, she said that despite these interventions and awareness programmes conducted by health departments and external experts, similar incidents continue to be reported.
