21-year-old LD Arts student found dead at Gujarat University guest house

A 21-year-old student participating in a National Service Scheme (NSS) camp at Gujarat University was found hanging in a guest house on the university campus on Friday, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Maheshwari Khachar, a third-year student of L D Arts College. Originally from Botad, she was currently residing in the Ranip area of Ahmedabad. At the time of the incident, she was staying at the Gujarat University guest house opposite the NRI hostel as part of the ongoing NSS camp.

According to police, Khachar was an active NSS volunteer and had recently been appointed a senior volunteer due to her performance. On Friday, she was present at university programmes at the Shyam Prasad Mukherjee Hall since morning and was scheduled to go to the airport around 5 pm to receive guests arriving from Kolkata for an NSS-related event.

However, officials said she left the university premises around 3.30 pm and did not return. When she failed to report back, a professor asked another student to check on her at the guest house. The student reportedly found Khachar hanging near a window inside her room and immediately alerted others.

University authorities informed the police and emergency services. A 108 ambulance and personnel from the Gujarat University Police Station rushed to the spot, but Khachar was declared dead.

Police said an accidental death case has been registered and inquest proceedings are underway. A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) also visited the scene to collect evidence. No suicide note has been recovered so far.

“Officials said the reason behind the extreme step is still not known. We will be unlocking her mobile phone and examining her personal belongings and digital data to gather evidence and understand the circumstances leading to her death,” a senior police officer said.

Police are recording statements of students, faculty members and family members as part of the investigation. University authorities said counselling support is being extended to students affected by the incident.