3 min readRanchiUpdated: Apr 10, 2026 07:11 PM IST
The Jharkhand government has stepped in after the death of an engineering student from Ranchi at Bengaluru’s Manipal University, where he allegedly fell from the ninth floor of a hostel building, with the family alleging foul play and an attempt to cover up the incident.
Lakshya Mishra, a 21-year-old B.Tech second-year student from Ranchi, died on April 7 at his university in Bengaluru. His father, Anjani Kumar Mishra, subsequently took to social media, urging the government to initiate a proper investigation.
The matter gained attention after a video by the student’s father went viral, following which Jharkhand Cabinet Minister Deepika Pandey Singh took cognisance of the case, urging the Karnataka government, where the Congress is in power, to act.
In a post on X, she said: “This is a deeply disturbing case. Lakshya Mishra from Jharkhand was a bright, young student with immense promise, whose life has been tragically cut short under suspicious circumstances.” Urging a probe, she said, “I urge Hon’ble Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah ji and Dy CM D K Shivakumar ji to ensure a fair, transparent, and time-bound investigation. A grieving father deserves answers, and the family deserves justice. We cannot allow such cases to be brushed aside – accountability is essential.”
Speaking to The Indian Express, Pandey said she found the video disturbing and posted about it on X while also speaking to authorities in Karnataka. “I have mentioned the Karnataka CM and Deputy CM both and raised the issue. Our office also spoke to their offices. We are waiting,” she said.
The student’s father said he received a call around 3:30 am informing him that his son had fallen from the ninth floor. He claimed that when he contacted the hospital, officials were initially reluctant to share details and later confirmed that the student had died.
The father flew from Ranchi to Bengaluru the same morning, landing around noon, and went directly to Manipal Hospital in Yelahanka, where the body was kept. The last rites were performed on Wednesday. The post-mortem report is awaited.
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Raising questions about the circumstances of the death, the father claimed that the injuries on the body did not appear consistent with a fall from such a height. He also questioned the version of events at the hostel, stating that the gap in the grill from where the fall allegedly took place was too small for a 21-year-old weighing around 50–55 kg to pass through.
He further alleged that the spot where the student reportedly fell had only a small amount of blood, which he said was inconsistent with a fall from the ninth floor.
“My son was staying in room number 927 on the ninth floor. Before the incident, there was an unusual gathering of students in nearby rooms on the same floor, approximately between 10 pm and 11 pm, as seen in CCTV footage,” he claimed.
He claimed there was possible evidence tampering following his son’s death, and that his room had been washed before the arrival of the forensic team.
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An FIR has been registered at Yelahanka New Town Police Station in Bengaluru. The family is awaiting the post-mortem report.
