20-year-old BITS Pilani student found dead on campus, government orders probe

A 20-year-old student was found dead in his hostel room at the BITS Pilani campus in south Goa on Thursday, according to police.

According to a PTI report, Rishi Nair, a second-year Physics student who had recently transferred from the Hyderabad campus for one semester, was found motionless on his bed around 10:45 am after authorities forced open his hostel room door when he failed to respond to calls. Officials said the exact cause of death is still under investigation.

The tragic death has renewed concerns over student mental health on the campus. According to the post-mortem report, Nair passed away during sleep. This is the fifth student death at BITS Pilani Goa since December 2024, with three of the previous cases attributed to suicide.

Police officials met with the campus management to discuss preventive measures. “The management has assured that all precautionary steps will be taken to avoid such incidents,” said the Superintendent of Police.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced a committee, led by the district collector, to investigate these recurring incidents. “Such incidents are unfortunate and should not reoccur. The state government will take further steps after receiving the Collector’s report,” he said.

BITS Pilani Goa confirmed Nair’s death and said he had been undergoing clinical treatment for a personal health challenge, with his parents having moved to Goa to support him.

“It is with profound sorrow that we confirm the tragic demise of our student, Mr Rishi Nair, a 2nd-year Physics student who recently transferred from our Hyderabad campus. He had been managing a personal health challenge and was receiving clinical treatment. His parents moved to Goa to support him during this semester,” the university said.

The institution stated it is fully cooperating with the ongoing police investigation.

The five deaths at the Goa campus since December 2024 include Om Priyan Singh (December 2024), Atharv Desai (March 2025), Krishna Kasera (May 2025), and Kushagra Jain (August 2025), all found dead in their hostel rooms.