Kochi | An Arunachal Pradesh native studying at an engineering college in Kothamangalam near here has been found dead in the room of a rented house, police said on Sunday.

The deceased was identified as Michi Marpu (20), of Naharlagun in the Papum Pare district of Arunachal Pradesh, a third-year B Tech student at MA College of Engineering, Kothamangalam.

According to police, Marpu was found lying on the floor with a rope tied around his neck at the rented house where he lived with his college mates at Kozhipilly near Kothamangalam on Saturday evening.

Though he was rushed to the Kothamangalam Taluk Hospital, doctors declared him dead, police said.

Police suspect that Marpu had attempted to hang himself from the roof of the room, but the rope broke, following which he was found lying on the floor.

A three-page suicide note, written in English and Hindi, was also recovered from his room, police said.

Police said Marpu may have taken the extreme step fearing that he would lose a year after scoring low marks in a few subjects.

However, a detailed probe is required to ascertain the circumstances leading to his death, police said.

Students at the college have decided to stage a protest, alleging that the minimum credit requirement at the college is higher than at other engineering colleges in the state.

SFI and KSU leaders at the college told reporters that, as MA College of Engineering follows an autonomous scheme, it has set the minimum credit requirement at 22 credits, compared to 18 credits in colleges affiliated to Kerala Technological University.

There was no immediate reaction from the college.

Police said the postmortem would be conducted after the relatives of the deceased reach Kothamangalam.

Kothamangalam police have registered a case of unnatural death and are conducting an investigation.