Police rule out foul play in LD Arts student death at Gujarat University guest house, claim it was suicide

Gujarat University police have confirmed that the 21-year-old L D Arts College student found dead at the Gujarat University guest house on Friday died by suicide, with investigators ruling out any foul play so far. However, the exact reason behind the student taking the extreme step remains unclear, officials said on Saturday.

The deceased, Maheshwari Khachar, a third-year student of L D Arts College, was participating in a National Service Scheme (NSS) camp at Gujarat University and was staying at the guest house opposite the NRI hostel. Originally from Botad, she was living in the Ranip area of Ahmedabad.

As reported earlier, Khachar was found hanging near a window inside her room after she failed to return to university activities on Friday afternoon. She had been present at 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 event. When she did not return after leaving the campus around 3.30 pm, a fellow student was sent to check on her and discovered her body.

Following the incident, Gujarat University police registered an accidental death case and conducted inquest proceedings. A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) examined the scene. No suicide note was recovered.

In the latest update, police said preliminary investigation has confirmed that the death was a case of suicide. “There is no evidence to suggest any foul play at this stage. We are now focusing on understanding what led the student to take this step,” a police officer said.

As part of the probe, investigators have questioned several close friends of the victim to look for possible triggers or warning signs, but no concrete leads have emerged so far. Police have also sent Khachar’s locked iPhone for forensic examination in the hope of finding clues through messages, call records or other digital data.

Officials further revealed that the student had returned to Ahmedabad from her hometown just a day before the incident to participate in the NSS event. “There is a possibility that something may have happened during her stay at home or shortly after her return. This will become clearer once we can record statements of her family members,” the officer said.

The body has been handed over to the family, who have left for their hometown to perform the last rites. Given the sensitivity of the case, police said they have not yet questioned the family members. “We have given the family space during this difficult time. Once things settle, we will approach them as part of the investigation,” the official added.

The investigation is continuing, with police awaiting forensic reports and digital analysis to piece together the circumstances that led to the suicide.