BITS Pilani Goa PhD Student Dies By Suicide, Note Recovered

A 26-year-old PhD scholar from Kerala was found dead at his rented accommodation near the BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus in Vasco on Tuesday night, police said. A purported suicide note was recovered from the spot, though officials have not disclosed its contents yet.

The student, identified as Arjun Sabu , was in the second year of his doctoral programme. Police said he was found hanging at his flat located just outside the campus premises. His body has been sent for a post-mortem examination , and a detailed investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances leading to his death.

Officials are examining multiple angles, including academic pressure and personal factors, while also verifying the contents of the recovered note.

The incident has once again drawn attention to a disturbing pattern at the BITS Pilani Goa campus , where student deaths have been reported over the past two years. In the last one-and-a-half years, this is reportedly the seventh such case involving a student from the institution. Earlier incidents had taken place within the campus, according to sources.

The issue had also been raised in the Goa Legislative Assembly , which was informed that six student deaths had occurred since December 2024, triggering concerns over mental health support systems , academic stress, and institutional safeguards.

While the institute has not yet issued a detailed statement on the latest incident, the repeated cases have renewed calls for stronger counselling infrastructure and preventive mechanisms within higher education institutions.

Authorities are continuing the investigation and are expected to speak with peers, faculty members, and others who were in contact with the student in the days before the incident.