Thrissur | A 25-year-old PhD student from Karnataka was found dead in a pond on the Kerala Agricultural University campus at Vellanikkara in the early hours of Saturday, prompting police to launch a detailed investigation.

The deceased was identified as Kishore Kumar Gowda, a first-year PhD student in the Department of Vegetable Science. He was staying at the university hostel.

According to police, Gowda was found in a pond at the Fruit Crops Research Station on the university campus between 12.05 am and 1 am.

Fire and Rescue Services personnel retrieved him from the water and shifted him to Thrissur District Hospital, where doctors declared him dead at 2.50 am, they said.

Police have registered a case of unnatural death under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, based on a complaint lodged by the assistant warden of the hostel where Gowda was staying.

A detailed investigation is underway, and the inquest will be conducted after the student's family arrives from Bengaluru, police said.

Preliminary inquiries suggest that Gowda had gone out to pluck dragon fruit. However, the exact circumstances leading to his death can be ascertained only after a detailed investigation, police said.