The death of Vishal Mohanlal Goutam, the 29-year-old student of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), was by drowning, police said after the post-mortem on Saturday.
A student of the 16th batch of the animation department, Vishal had started swimming three years ago on the campus, his father Mohanlal Goutam told The Telegraph on Saturday. “He used to love swimming... Yesterday, he spoke to us around 8.30 am, telling us stories about his recent Darjeeling visit. His mother asked if he had had his breakfast, but he said that he was going for a walk and then swimming,” he said.
An hour later, around 9.30am, Vishal drowned while swimming in a pond on campus. His family was informed, following which his elder brother and his wife reached the institute. Vishal’s parents reached later on Friday night from Gujarat.
Vishal’s body underwent post-mortem on Saturday and was taken to the SRFTI campus later in the evening. From there, the body was taken to a crematorium for the last rites.
“He was a jovial person and would never look tense. He was very talented and aspired to make it big in the animation world. His death is a loss to all of us, personally and professionally,” said an SRFTI official.
“He was very passionate about animation. Although he was staying here (in Kolkata), he was very attached to us and would keep us posted about his daily life,” Vishal’s father said.
Deputy commissioner (east) Gourav Lal said a preliminary investigation suggested no foul play. “We have not received any complaint from the family either,” he said.