Midnight adventure ends in tragedy: Agriculture student dies after fall from tree in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: What began as a spontaneous midnight outing among friends to pluck fruits ended in heartbreak for a family after a promising young agriculture student lost his life following a fall from a jackfruit tree on the GKVK campus in Yelahanka.

Akash K, 24, a final-year MSc Agriculture student at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), was known among his peers as a bright student and one of the toppers in his class. Originally from Amar Guddadahalli in Kudligi taluk of Vijayanagara district, Akash had moved to Bengaluru to pursue his dream of building a career in agriculture. He was staying in the college hostel on campus.

According to a complaint filed by his father Karibasajjayya, a farmer, Akash was in the hostel around midnight when his friends, Hassan Basha and Prashanth, suggested that they step out to pluck fruits from trees inside the sprawling campus. The three friends left the hostel around 12.30am Friday and first headed towards a jamun (black plum) tree. For nearly 45 minutes, they gathered fruit, filling a handbag before deciding to continue their midnight adventure.

At around 1.30am, they reached a nearby jackfruit tree. As Akash climbed it in an attempt to pluck a jackfruit, tragedy struck. He allegedly lost his footing and fell from a height of more than 15ft, crashing to the ground.

The fall caused severe injuries to the left side of his head, shoulder, and abdomen. Shocked, his friends rushed him back towards the hostel and tried to administer first aid. As Akash writhed in pain and struggled with his injuries, Hassan and Prashanth realised the seriousness of the situation and called the 108 ambulance service.

Akash was first taken to the govt hospital in Yelahanka, where doctors provided emergency treatment. Given the severity of his injuries, he was referred to KC General Hospital in Malleswaram for advanced care. However, despite doctors’ efforts, he was declared dead at 3.24am.

The loss has left his family devastated. Akash is survived by his parents and two younger sisters. His family told police that they did not suspect any foul play and believed the incident was an accident. However, they have requested an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

A senior police officer said Akash fell from a considerable height. Those familiar with campus life said some students occasionally venture out after midnight to pluck fruits from trees, hoping to avoid being noticed by college staff or security personnel. Yelahanka police have registered an unnatural death report and are investigating.