Mangalore: Professor found dead at YMCA hostel, suicide suspected


Mangalore: Professor found dead at YMCA hostel, suicide suspected

Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Updated

Mangalore, Feb 6: Author and mathematician Prof Stephen Vadakkan was found dead at YMCA hostel here on Thursday February 6.

The deceased, Prof Stephen Vadakkan (61), was the son of the late Joseph Mathew and was staying at Doopadakatte, Karkala.

Sources said that he had been staying at the hostel since January 31.

The watchman, while passing by his room in the hostel, sensed a foul smell emanating from the room. On checking, the professor was found dead and his body was decomposed.

It is not known when exactly he died. It is suspected that he might have committed suicide.

Sources said that he left behind a letter in which he asked that the hostel fee be paid.

Police said that his son is on his way from Karkala to Mangalore. He had divorced his wife, police sources said.

Kadri police have registered a case and investigation is on.

Prof Stephen Vadakkan had done his pre-university at St Aloysius in 1969-70. After completing his bachelor of science at Kuwait University in 1977 with a rank, he went on to do double postgraduate degree courses in Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Arizona in Tucson, USA, following it up with his PhD. He studied Cryptography and Communications Security under the world renowned Prof F C Piper of the University of London.

He returned to Kuwait and worked as a research associate at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) and for Kuwait Air Force/Air Defense, and also as a consultant for various commercial ventures.

During the Gulf War (1990-91) he returned to India. For a brief period he was an honorary visiting faculty member and reader (associate professor) of computer engineering at the Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal.

He was a writer and philosopher. He had discovered and proved the exact formula for the perimeter of the ellipse. He also found a novel, simple and accurate way for constructing and n-secting a 60° angle. He was the nephew of Fr Joseph Vadakkan, the famous social reformer of Thrissur in Kerala.

  

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Comment on this article

  • Tree Climber, RR Nagar

    Wed, Oct 22 2014

    We worked together, solved together & had fun together. Though he was our chief of innovation faculty, he always treated me as his friend.
    A best & true science teacher, a personality. The way he explained me convolution theorem through clasped finger analogy was the best complex mathematical explanation given & made understood, yet in a simplest way.
    He was very genius, humorous, kind hearted, simple, inspiring & a noble man.
    I have taken lot of inspiration from his lifestyle.

    We started working on a robot project recently a year before this death. But I couldn’t commit to it & dream remained unfinished & unrealized. I'll regret this all my life i guess.

    He was a very strong gutsy mentality person. The reason for his death can be either a health issue or a homicide murder (Because he was a very straight forward person, he never needed any support or any fellow companion. He will complain about a system or a person directly if there was something that should be complained, on the spot, on the face).
    or
    ya it could be a suicide because of some personal reasons.

    These words of condolence cannot bring this personality back.
    The whole student community will miss him & his presence.

    Rest in Peace.

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • John FC, Thrissur

    Sat, Feb 08 2014

    A true Genius with great simplicity, I had come to know him as was staying as a paying guest opp. to where I live some many years back, Proff. was always in deep thoughts when he used to pass by my house, we had couple of hello's and brief chats. Never imagined this end. I share my deepest condolences and may his soul rest in PEACE in the feet of the ALMGHTY.

    DisAgree Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • SANTOSH VAS, Mangalore / KUWAIT

    Fri, Feb 07 2014

    A very SAD death, I resisted from commenting earlier as I personally know Dr. Stephen Vadakkan and his family. This gentleman was brilliant. Never can one imagine he would commit suicide. He had everything going for him, great family heritage (Paternal family as well has his fore fathers linked to a very noble and illustrious family from Kerala), academically brilliant, Kuwait is HIS HOME in that he could have lived like a Sheikh. So please readers let the soul of this good human being RIP, please do not speculate and comment unnecessarily, only sensible comments are from his students. Steve ... we've not been in touch for years, may you have happiness in the almighty.

    DisAgree [4] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rita, Germany

    Fri, Feb 07 2014

    Feel sad to see and hear about his end.May his Soul rest in peace.As we read Police said his son is on his way to Mangalore from karkala?I suppose Prof.died in karkala.and left back a letter to pay the bill of the hostel.what is wrong here?He didn't have Money?and the watchman while passing by got foul smell.was the door open?and nobody got the smell?That means he didn't attend college.The way his Body was tied up is not appreciable.A Prof. could have been bit with respect handled.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • William, Bantwal

    Fri, Feb 07 2014

    May his soul rest in peace, Amen. So big professor, but so low death. What a life? So many big degrees, but nobody nearby when the old age creeps in. Sad ending.

    DisAgree [4] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rudolf, Mangalore/Mumbai

    Fri, Feb 07 2014

    William sir what is big and small, before life and death all are equal which people do not understand when they are young and healthy!! They think if you have big degree and lots of money you are one above the rest, but death is the greatest leveler and only the SOUL is the real energy that survives!! RIP Prof!!

    DisAgree Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rudolf, Mangalore/Mumbai

    Fri, Feb 07 2014

    RIP Sir!! Just to comment in the way, whoever these people are, they look handling the decomposed corpse with bare feet, no masks, no protective suits, body fluids strewn all over, looks appalling!! They sure need modern equipment to protect themselves from infection, this scene looks no better than manual scavenging which has been banned recently!!

    DisAgree Agree [17] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rahul,

    Fri, Feb 07 2014

    Felt really bad he our lecture in NITTE college NMAMIT such a good lecture really the collage and as well as the student will miss him

    DisAgree Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rudolf, Mangalore/Mumbai

    Fri, Feb 07 2014

    RIP, Prof!!

    Highly qualified and famous people are not immune to suicidal tendencies. Recently the young CEO of a top Indian auto giant reportedly committed suicide at the height of his career a top PhD student about to submit his thesis at the IIT Mumbai, reportedly committed suicide under mysterious circumstances a couple of days ago a Oscar winner famous actor succumbed to suicide and there are many more so the myth should be busted that an ordinary person cannot be mentally strong and tensile and a famous or highly qualified person can be strong!! It is just a matter of time and circumstances!!! RIP!!!

    DisAgree [2] Agree [18] Reply Report Abuse

  • Cynthia, Moodbidri

    Fri, Feb 07 2014

    RIP professor. Suicide or murder suspected ?

    DisAgree [1] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • juliana, udupi

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    Due to high blood pressure he may have had paralysis and that being not attended may be the cause of his death. Suicide may not be the reason for his death. Proud to read about his qualifications, but sad for his death. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

    DisAgree [5] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • flavian pereira, Mangalore/Kuwait

    Thu, Feb 06 2014


    ‘A significant number of people with suicidal ideation keep their thoughts and feelings a secret and appear to have no apparent signs’

    The right thing is to offer our condolences rather than assuming reasons behind the suicidal act of a dead person.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • Valerian Dsouza, Udupi/Mumbai

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    So sad, may his soul rest in peace.
    Some time we find very highly educated people live in isolation.
    To pursue their studies, they are detached from family.
    One of my friends who did masters Robotics Science told me, that to study further, lot of sacrifice is needed. Will be cut off from family, then one fine day he realized and told me, for whom he is doing all these?
    Scientists really need to put in lots and lots of hard work and live in isolation.
    So that friend made up his mind and took up a highly paying Professor's job abroad and live with family.
    His example, may benefit somebody to live.

    DisAgree Agree [26] Reply Report Abuse

  • T.M.Xavier, Mangalore

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    My hearty condolence on sad demise of Prof. Stephen Vadakkan

    DisAgree Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • Sam Lopez,

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    One of my most favourite lecturer. May his soul RIP.

    DisAgree Agree [21] Reply Report Abuse

  • Tilak Kamath, Shirva

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    By my previous comments I wanted to explain about his skills in teaching was at par to international universities. Very sad that he took this extreme step.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [23] Reply Report Abuse

  • satish shetty, karkala

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    This is not acceptable from such highly qualified person., and this doesn't seem to be a suicide as there is a pool of blood in the room something is fishy., the cop should have a brief investigation before submitting any final decision., any ways RIP

    DisAgree [2] Agree [31] Reply Report Abuse

  • Lydia Lobo, Kadri

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    With due respect to the departed great personality. May God grant rest to his soul.

    Mr. Shetty, human remains emit fluids upon stopping of functioning of the body. What we see around there need not be blood.

    I am very pained at the kind of end this gem brought himself to. Condolences to his family members.

    DisAgree [4] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • abdul majid, bangalore

    Fri, Feb 07 2014

    in india police are so busy 99% cases are closed as suicide only MLA /MP cases will be investigated for murder.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [11] Reply Report Abuse

  • Tilak Kamath, Shirva

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    OMG! He taught us Discrete Mathematics in the fourth semester of Engineering. His style of teaching was completely different. I cannot forget his "open-book" exams for internals(sessionals) where we scored in single digits. R.I.P Dr. Vadakkan.

    DisAgree [7] Agree [24] Reply Report Abuse

  • Noor Ashfaq, Karkala/Sharjah

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    Very much disheartening - a maths professor with a rich background succumbed to such a tragic end. Human beings are rational creatures and for him, with his educational admiration, it’s difficult to assess the circumstances of his pitiable end. We lost a genius and express condolences to his family members

    DisAgree Agree [26] Reply Report Abuse

  • Duje Porob, Mangalore

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    Why are you assuming that it may be due to alcohol? These kind of suicides maybe due to depression too! Anyway, may his soul RIP.

    DisAgree [4] Agree [33] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ronald, Mangalore

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    That does not look like a suicide at all. The note about hostel fees be paid is not a suicide note. The professor would have left a meaningful note if it was suicide. This is a most likely a murder.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [35] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rajiv Goveas, Mangalore

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    Acute stress could also be a reason. May his soul RIP.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [17] Reply Report Abuse

  • Nancy, Belman

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    OH MY GOD!!!!!!!

    So highly educated person... What could be wrong with him? If he had committed suicide, then from where that blood on the ground? (it looks like that)

    Now a days life has become so much difficult. No one is ready for understanding and adjustment, Full of Stress. May be food and technology is the main reason for all this.....

    DisAgree [8] Agree [32] Reply Report Abuse

  • Dinesh P,

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    Extreme step taken could be by the influence of alcohol....RIP

    DisAgree [54] Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • Mel, Mangalore

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    Bad move as a mentor, he should be an example for the society/students. Shame on the police/health department, the person (in pic 3) working with bare foot and there is no enough PPE’s are provided to perform their duties. Even the decomposed body is wrapped in plastic bag.

    DisAgree [4] Agree [57] Reply Report Abuse

  • HENRY MISQUITH, Bahrain

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    Sad indeed. He was a school professor, he should have been stronger. How could he have mentored his students to become strong individuals? Condolences to the family, RIP anyway

    DisAgree [7] Agree [63] Reply Report Abuse


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Title: Mangalore: Professor found dead at YMCA hostel, suicide suspected



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