PES University has issued a statement regarding its 19-year-old student Aditya Prabhu dying by suicide on July 17.
Expressing regret about the incident, the statement from the university's special officer claimed that the victim was involved in a malpractice case by carrying his phone with content related to the paper inside the exam hall. His mother was informed, and he was reportedly counselled to stay calm.
He was also informed that the incident would be reviewed by a committee, which will give him "ample opportunity" to give his side of the story, the statement said.
The university maintained that it wouldn't comment on the incident until the police investigation was concluded.
The university clarified that it had submitted a report and the CCTV footage of the victim being involved in malpractice and being escorted to the centre of examinations to the police.
"We at the university are not heartless and insensitive to the pain it has caused the parents, as alleged by the media around us. We have also lost a bright boy."
The statement called out the "baseless" media reports covering the incident and refuted all the charges and the "lies being circulated" about their staff and students.
The university has vowed to cooperate with the investigation, be sensitive to their students' wellness, and learn from the incident."