City college student found dead, clip goes viral

Police suspect the death by suicide to be a result of ‘route thala’ rivalry in buses and trains

A 20-year-old college student died by suicide on Tuesday night. He reportedly circulated a voice message among his friends, a few minutes before taking the extreme step, blaming a group of students of another college for it.

Initially, the police had no clue about the identity. The voice note went viral and the parents and friends confirmed that the deceased was M. Kumar, a first year student of M.A. History in Presidency College and a resident of Guruvarajapet near Arakkonam. In the voice note, he said he did not want to live at the mercy of students of another college. But he did not name anyone in specific.

On Wednesday, his friends gathered in front of the Government General Hospital, Tiruvallur, and staged a protest demanding action against the students responsible for his death. Following the agitation, the police tightened security. However, the parents received the body in the evening. The police suspect the death could be a fallout of unending “route thala” clash among students to establish their supremacy in buses or trains.