Bengaluru: IISc research scholar found dead in hostel

BENGALURU: A decomposed body of a 26-year-old research scholar at Indian Institute of Science (IISc) was found at his hostel room on Friday evening, along with a death note.
The police suspect that KV Pawan Kumar may have taken his life by consuming poison about two days ago, but said that they could not say anything definitively.
Kumar, a native of Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, was pursuing final year PhD at the department of High Energy Physics at IISc.“The incident came to light around 4pm and we have informed the jurisdictional Sadashivanagar police station, who have taken up a case,” MR Chandrashekar, chief security officer at IISc, told TOI.

Students at IISc said that the body was found by the security team after the house keeping staff complained of a foul smell renting the air in the corridor housing Kumar’s room. He occupied room number 36 on the second floor of the B Block in the new hostel building within IISc.
In the death note, a copy of which is with TOI, Kumar has thanked his parents and friends and said that he wanted to be a better person and son if he had a chance at another life.
“I want to die, so I am dying (at least trying to),” the first line in the note reads. The note, at the end, requests its finder to inform authorities and also has Kumar’s father’s mobile number so the message could be passed on.
“...He had locked the door from the inside and the security staff found his body in a decomposed state. They then informed us about the incident and we rushed to the spot. We have found a death note, in which he clarified no one responsible for his extreme step. Hence, we have taken up a case of an unnatural death,” Sadashivanagar police said.
Kumar’s body has been shifted to the mortuary at MS Ramaiah Medical College Hospital and the police said they were awaiting the arrival of Kumar’s relatives before conducting an autopsy.
“We will know about the cause of death in the autopsy report,” the police said. Students at the IISc have decided to hold a condolence meet in front of the main building at the institute at 11am on Monday.