Jadavpur University Professor Found Dead In Hotel Room In U’khand, Police Suspect Suicide

Pal’s family had tried to contact him but he was not answering any phone calls, the family reached out to the hotel with their concerns.

A professor at Jadavpur University in Kolkata was found dead in a hotel room in Uttarakhand with cuts on his hands and throat. The police say that they suspect, Mainak Pal died by suicide. 

Pal had travelled to Uttarakhand with two friends but decided to return to Kolkata. While his friends carried with the trip, he checked into a hotel in Lalkuan in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand and was to board a train back home the next morning. Some reports suggest that he was missing his daughter which is why he made the last-minute change.

The 44-year-old professor is survived by his wife, daughter and parents. According to a report by The Indian Express, Pal’s family had tried to contact him but he was not answering any phone calls, the family reached out to the hotel with their concerns. The hotel staff then decided to break open the door where the Pal was found lying in a pool of blood in the bathroom with deep cuts on his hands and neck. His body would be brought to Kolkata after an autopsy.

The Philosophy professor's death shocked his colleagues in Kolkata. The Jadavpur University Teachers' Association’s general secretary, Partha Pratim Roy said in a statement, that they were in “deep shock” since they heard about Pal’s death, 

"Pal was a lovable person and popular among students and the fraternity. The entire JU family is shell-shocked," Roy said.

Pal achieved first class in his undergraduate studies at Presidency College in 2002 and continued this success in his postgraduate studies at Jadavpur University in 2004. He later completed both his MPhil and PhD at Jadavpur University. During his vacations, he enjoyed travelling to the mountains, The Indian Express reported citing sources.

Presidency University registrar Debjyoti Konar told The Indian Express, “Pal joined Presidency soon after I became registrar. Before that, he taught in a government college. He was an excellent teacher. The students loved him. He moved to Jadavpur in 2022. He studied not only philosophy but various subjects.”

“He was extraordinary as a person. He also kept in touch with other departments. He had no grudges with anyone. It doesn’t even seem possible. The death of such a virtuous person is unfortunate. It is a big loss for the education system. He had the potential to do great things in the future,” added Konar.