Digital Goa, May 13 – South Goa Collector Egna Cleetus on Tuesday confirmed that the 26-year-old youth found dead at a paying guest accommodation in Verna was a PhD scholar from BITS Pilani Goa Campus, and that preliminary investigation points to suicide. This is the second such incident reported this year and the seventh since December 2024. According to findings from earlier investigations, a possible “suicide contagion” or cluster effect – where exposure to suicide or suicidal behaviour may influence others, leading to a series of similar incidents within a particular time or space – has emerged as a major concern, she informed. Cleetus said police teams, along with district, state and national-level committees, had previously visited the campus following earlier incidents, conducted investigations, and prepared reports, which were submitted to the government in February 2026.
