A 20-year-old engineering student, Udit Soni, allegedly died by suicide after jumping from the fourth floor of his hostel building in Greater Noida’s Knowledge Park area on Friday night.
The second-year BTech student had reportedly returned to the hostel after consuming alcohol, leading to a confrontation with the management.
The hostel operator recorded a video of the reprimand and sent it to Soni’s father, who then scolded the student over the phone and threatened to cancel his admission. Distressed by the sequence of events, the student took the extreme step at approximately 11:30 PM.
Student Suicide
Udit Soni, a native of Jhansi, was a student at a private institute and resided in a local hostel. On the night of the incident, he allegedly returned to the premises with two friends, identified as Chetan and Kuldeep, in an inebriated state, which violated the hostel code of conduct.
Instead of a private intervention or counselling session, the hostel management chose to record the student being rebuked and immediately forwarded the footage to his father, Vijay Soni. This led to a heated phone call where the father warned Udit that he would be brought back home and his name would be struck off the college rolls.
Police Investigation
The news of the death sparked intense protests on campus, with fellow students alleging that Soni was subjected to mental harassment and misbehaviour by the hostel authorities.
Demonstrators vandalised hostel property and several buses parked outside the premises, leading to a separate case against unknown individuals for vandalism. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Sudhir Kumar stated that an inquiry is underway and two individuals have been detained for questioning.
Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage and recording statements from students and staff to determine if the management’s actions constituted criminal intimidation or abetment of suicide.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This tragic loss of a young life highlights the urgent need for more empathetic and professional grievance handling within educational and residential institutions.
While discipline is necessary for a healthy environment, the use of shaming tactics and the immediate escalation of minor infractions to parents via video can have devastating psychological impacts on students.
Institutions must act as guardians who provide support and counselling rather than just punitive measures. We believe in a culture where dialogue and kindness take precedence over public humiliation.
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