Davanagere : A 17-year-old PU student was found dead under suspicious circumstances at a private college hostel in Davangere on Wednesday night, prompting her family to allege murder and demand a thorough investigation. Her body was reportedly found hanging from a hostel window around 8:30 pm. The deceased, Ranjitha , daughter of Ningappa of Kuruvatti village in Vijayanagara district, was a second PU student, and had been studying at the institution for about one and a half years. College staff informed police, who inspected the spot and shifted the body to Chigateri District Hospital mortuary.
A relative, Ganesh , said Ranjitha was a bright student who spoke to her family daily and had returned to the hostel only days earlier. Ningappa filed a complaint at Vidyanagar Police Station, claiming his daughter had been beaten, killed and then hanged. He questioned how she could have died by hanging from a window allegedly only three feet high. He claimed her knees were touching the ground, making suicide unlikely.
College chairman Manjappa denied any wrongdoing, saying Ranjitha had appeared slightly depressed after returning, and had sought permission to go to the hostel early. A case had been registered with the Vidyanagar police and investigation is ongoing.