Drug Traces Found in BITS Pilani Student's System

Traces of drugs were discovered in the system of a 20-year-old BITS Pilani student who was found deceased in his South Goa hostel room last week, police authorities revealed on Friday.

According to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, senior police officials have confirmed the presence of drugs in Rishi Nair's autopsy report; the student was discovered dead on September 4.

The recent tragedy marks the fifth fatality at the BITS Pilani campus near Vasco since December 2024. Previous tragedies include the deaths of Om Priyan Singh (December 2024), Atharv Desai (March 2025), Krishna Kasera (May 2025), and Kushagra Jain (August 2025), all found lifeless in their respective hostel accommodations.

Superintendent of Police (South) Tikam Singh Verma indicated that preliminary investigations suggest drug presence in Nair's system, with further inquiries in progress. Enhanced surveillance measures around institutions, including BITS Pilani, aim to curb the use of illicit substances, he emphasized in a statement from Margao.

This is the first instance from the recent campus deaths where drug traces have been identified, noted the superintendent. Responding to the matter, Aam Aadmi Party leaders, led by MLA Cruz Silva, confronted SP Verma over drug sales at educational facilities and the perceived inaction of law enforcement.

AAP Goa President Amit Palekar raised critical points in Panaji about the ease of campus drug access, labeling it as a systemic failure of the law enforcement and government, urging the Chief Minister to address the growing threat urgently.

(With inputs from agencies.)