An inquiry conducted by the authorities of Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) on the death of a 21-year-old engineering student in his rented house on April 22, 2026 found that the Head of his department had cleared his request for condonation of attendance shortage.
D. Dhanush, a sixth-semester student of B.Tech Electrical and Electronics programme, and a native of Kumarapuram in Alappuzha, was found dead at his house in Kalamassery. Police had stated that he was under mental distress after facing attendance shortage and backlogs. There were initial speculations that he had died by suicide on the last date for submission of the documents related to the condonation of attendance shortage.
The inquiry carried out by the Registrar and Controller of Examinations found that the Head of the Department had signed his request for condonation of attendance shortage. The student was told to hand it over to the office for follow-up action. However, he did not submit it on time. The authorities tried contacting him to remind him about the deadline for submission of the documents. However, he did not respond, it stated.
The inquiry was conducted by the officials based on a directive issued by M. Junaid Bushiri, Vice-Chancellor of the university.
