Dehradun: A 44-year-old associate professor of philosophy at Jadavpur University (JU) in Kolkata, was found dead in a hotel room in Uttarakhand, sparking shock and grief among his family, students, and colleagues. His body was discovered in the bathroom of his hotel room in Lalkuan on Saturday (November 9), with deep cuts on his neck and wrists. Police reports suggest he may have died by suicide, although a postmortem report is pending.

Mainak Pal, a resident of Bonhooghly area of north Kolkata, had traveled with two friends to visit religious sites in Almora. He reportedly decided to return to Kolkata early, telling his friends he missed his daughter. He checked into the Lalkuan hotel, planning to take the Bagh Express home the following morning. When his family was unable to reach him by phone on Friday evening, they alerted the hotel staff, who broke open his room door with a carpenter’s help and found him.

A respected academic, Pal was an alumnus of Presidency College, Kolkata, and began his teaching career in 2009 with the West Bengal Education Service (WBES). He held positions at Jhargram Raj College and the Government General Degree College in Mejia before joining Presidency University in 2015, where he served for nearly seven years. He joined Jadavpur University as an associate professor in May 2022.

Colleagues and students at JU expressed their sadness over Pal’s passing. The Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association highlighted his impact as a teacher, with general secretary Partha Pratim Roy stating, “We are in deep shock since we heard about his death… Pal was a lovable person and popular among students and the fraternity. The entire JU family is shell-shocked.”

Pal’s body was returned to Kolkata by road on Sunday and has been handed over to his family.