On November 10, Sunday, an association of teachers of Jadavpur University (JU) expressed shock over the death of their colleague Mainak Pal, whose blood-splattered body was found in a hotel on November 8 in Uttarakhand, where he had gone with two friends a few days ago.

Pal had previously worked in two government colleges and the Presidency University before joining JU in 2022 as an associate professor. He is survived by his parents, wife and a daughter, PTI reported.

Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) General Secretary Partha Pratim Roy said in a statement that Pal, a professor of the philosophy department, was a talented person who left a deep imprint as a teacher and researcher having interests in wide-ranging subjects. “We are in deep shock since we heard about his death,” Roy said.

Describing Pal’s untimely death as an irreparable loss both on personal and professional fronts, JUTA offered its condolences to the bereaved family.

“Pal was a lovable person and popular among students and the fraternity. He went to Uttarakhand with two of his friends and was scheduled to return on Friday. We are yet to come to terms with the news of his death. The entire JU family is shell-shocked,” Roy said.

Official's say

A JU official said Pal’s body was found lying in the washroom with deep cuts on his neck and hands, as informed by police and hotel management to his close ones. Going by the autopsy report, the Uttarakhand Police did not rule out the possibility of suicide, the varsity official said, quoting initial police communication, PTI reported.