“I am not gay”: Deceased Jadavpur University student was heard screaming moments before his death, learnt police, claim sources

Death of Swapnadeep Kundu, student of Jadavpur University, is still shrouded in mystery. The first year Bengali department student wasn’t a boarder at the main hostel, yet he was staying there. Police sources claim they have learnt that he, like many others have found an entry into the hostel through a racket operated by men who were former students of the university and had never left the hostel, stayed there as “super seniors”, controlling a business of providing students lodging inside the hostel in exchange of money. They are the same people, who torment the freshers in the name of ragging, create an atmosphere of subservience, claim hostel insiders.

At the time of his fall from the balcony, Swapnadeep had bare minimum clothes on. Police after examining other students have learnt, that on the fateful night, moments before his death, Swapnadeep was heard screaming “ I am not gay…I am not gay”, claim sources. If that is true, then whether Swapnadeep had been victim of any sexual assault at the hands of someone, is a question bothering police. Police have also learnt that the dean of students had received a call, mostly distressful in nature from a hostel boarder who had reported to him that “something wrong could be happening to Swapnadeep”, claim a senior officer. That call went to the dean days before the death of Swapnadeep. Dean on his part had enquired from the hostel super about Swapnadeep and also about the student who had given him the call, checking on them.

A former student named Sourav has been detained by police. He, according to sources, was the kingpin, could always be seen at a small joint outside the hostel where he would meet students and parents to negotiate deals. But he wasn’t alone. Sourav was also staying there at the hostel, seven years after he had passed out from the university. “He had no business being there but never left, no one there had thrown him out”, claim a hostel insider who is there in a supervisory role. The father of the deceased had met Sourav outside the hostel and even cracked a deal with him to secure a hostel bed for Swapnadeep.

News The Truth (NTT) has also learnt from students staying inside the hostel that a night before Swapnadeep’s death, few former students along with Sourav met him inside a locked room and “counselled him for hours”. They told NTT on condition of anonymity, “Swapnadeep was seen crying many a times, he would behave in an unusual manner as if scared of something but never opened up to anyone”. These students also confirm what the police have learnt that Swapnadeep was indeed heard screaming and running “I am not gay…I am not gay”. Family of the minor claims that on Wednesday, hours before he fell from the balcony, he had called his mother and complained of not feeling okay there at the hostel and had insisted that he be taken back home, being rescued.

What made the 17 year old boy scream that he isn’t gay, if true, has the potential of unraveling the nefarious activities allegedly happening inside boys hostels, at times forced on junior boarders in name of shenanigan but thrive on violations, forceful sodomy and other physical tortures.