Japanese student found dead at IIT-Guwahati; police suspect suicide
In a tragic incident, a Japanese student was found dead at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT-G) on Thursday. The deceased student, identified as Kota Onoda (22), was found hanging inside his hostel bathroom. Onoda was doing a three-month internship course at IIT-Guwahati and was set to return to Japan on November 30. Here are more details.
Onoda found hanging from his bathroom's ventilator
IIT-Guwahati's spokesperson Labanu Konwar told The New Indian Express that Onoda hadn't gone to the lab since Wednesday. When his friends checked on his room as he wasn't answering calls, they found it locked from the inside. The students alerted IIT authorities who informed the police. They found Onoda hanging from his bathroom's ventilator at 3:30 pm on Thursday, PTI reported.
Police suspect suicide; no note recovered yet
Reportedly, North Guwahati Circle Officer, Pranab Dutta Goswami said that they suspect this to be a case of suicide, however, no suicide note has been recovered. The police are still investigating the case. Onoda's body has been sent to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for a post-mortem. Meanwhile, IIT authorities have informed the Ministry of External Affairs about the incident.
Japanese nationals visited IIT-Guwahati
The Japanese Embassy in New Delhi was also informed about Onoda's death. Japanese nationals, who were in Guwahati, visited the institute on Thursday, possibly on the Japanese Embassy's behest. One of them was said to be a deputy minister.
Onoda was interning at IIT-G's Bio-Sciences and Bio-Engineering department
A Master's student at Japan's Gifu University, Onoda was doing the internship in the institute's department of Bio-Sciences and Bio-Engineering as part of a student exchange program. Konwar said his friends didn't notice any change in Onoda's behavior prior to his death. Onoda, who started the course in August, was scheduled to return to Japan on November 30 and had already booked his tickets.
If you are feeling suicidal, seek help
In case you need help or know someone who needs it, you can reach out to AASRA for suicide prevention counseling. Their number is 022 2754 6669. You can also contact the Hyderabad-based Roshni NGO at +914066202000 or COOJ at +918322252525. Sneha India Foundation which works 24X7 can be contacted at +914424640050. Vandrevala Foundation has trained counselors and their number is 18602662345.
