Bhubaneswar: Tension gripped a private engineering college in Bhubaneswar's Sikharchandi area after a first-year B.Tech student was found dead under suspicious circumstances late Saturday night, triggering unrest on campus and raising allegations of ragging.

The deceased, identified as Biswas Swain from Jagatsinghpur, was allegedly found hanging in his hostel room. As news of his death spread, agitated students gathered on campus, prompting police intervention to restore order. Officials counselled students, but no official statement has been issued by the college authorities yet.

While some students claimed it was a case of suicide, others alleged ragging by seniors may have led to the incident.

The student's father questioned the sequence of events and suggested foul play. "I received a message that he had not attended roll call. Later, at around 10 PM, he called and said he had slept. By 11 PM, the college informed me he had attempted suicide," he said.

Casting doubt on the suicide theory, he added, "I saw a chair on the bed and a towel hanging from the fan. His height is around 5’8″. If he stood on the bed with a chair, his head would hit the ceiling. My son did not kill himself."