JU student’s death triggers grief and anger; security lapses back in spotlight

Kolkata: The death of 22-year-old Anamika Mondal, a third-year English student of Jadavpur University, has sparked grief and anger, with neighbours, friends, teachers and political groups questioning the circumstances of the tragedy and the institution’s repeated security lapses.

Mondal, a resident of Nimta’s Lalit Gupta Street, was found floating in a pond near Gate No. 4 on Thursday night after attending a cultural festival organised by the university’s drama club. She was declared dead on arrival at hospital. A preliminary post-mortem report indicated drowning as the cause of death.

In the early hours of Friday, her boyfriend Atri Bhattacharya posted a photograph of them together with a message: “My love must have had shortcomings. Perhaps I sinned in a previous life. That is why you left not only me but everyone else too. No more words. No anger. You will not laugh anymore. You could have taken me away from this hell, Mishtu (her nickname).”

While some students suggested she may have consumed alcohol, neighbours firmly rejected the claim.

“She was quiet, studious and affectionate. To say she drank is unthinkable,” said one resident. Another recalled her as “always cheerful, always polite, excellent in studies”, insisting she rarely left home and could not have been intoxicated. Many in Nimta instead questioned why campus security remained inadequate despite repeated warnings.

The English department remained shut on Friday, with classrooms locked and teachers absent. The scheduled continuation of the drama club festival was cancelled.

“The university must ensure a safe, disciplined and healthy environment,” said Professor Rajeshwar Singh of the Bengali department, also urging greater attention to students’ mental health.

The JTMCP demanded a “full-fledged probe”, criticising the absence of surveillance and late-night events. Teachers echoed the call for stronger safety measures. Partha Pratim Ray, general secretary of the Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA), said: “Security is the biggest question today. Sixty-three memoranda have been submitted, yet CCTV cameras remain absent or dysfunctional. Even rules like checking ID cards at night are ignored.”

JUTA has urged the administration to approach the state government for funds to strengthen surveillance. For some parents, Mondal’s death reopened old wounds. The father of a first-year student who died after a fall in JU’s main hostel due to ragging in 2023 said: “We are burning every moment in the pain of losing our son. Now the same thing has happened again.”