‘Kind and caring’ Bournemouth University student found dead by housemates

TW: Drug use

A “kind and caring” Bournemouth University student was found by his housemates after dying from drug intoxication.

19-year-old Rajvinder Sidhu, known to friends as Raj, was found unresponsive by his housemates as they entered his bedroom after kicking down the door.

Raj, from Bracknell, had been studying forensic cyber security at Bournemouth University since 2022.

His housemates, Finlay Mulvaney and Harry Waller, made statements in court, regarding Raj ordering medication from the internet. However, Harry said Raj kept his drug use to himself, and Finlay added that he had told his friend that if he needed help, he would be there to support him.

The court also heard how Raj was noticeably stumbling and slurring words around 1am on the 19th February 2024.

At 6pm, they noticed they had not heard from Raj, so decided to check on him.

After repeated efforts of banging on his door, another unnamed housemate rang emergency services and a fourth helped the others in kicking the door down.

Raj was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics at 6:20pm.

Pathologist Dr Julianna Stolte performed a postmortem examination on Raj, where she concluded that his cause of death was due to respiratory failure as a result of drug intoxication. This was then confirmed by Dorset coroner, Brendan Allen.

Kerry Randle, the Head of Student Wellbeing at Bournemouth University said: “There was no record of Raj reaching out for support and was an academically stable student.”

At a tribute, his mother, Nisha Sidhu, told the court that he was an “extremely bubbly person”.

She said: “Raj is a beam of light with an infectious smile, humour, loves generously, and goes out of his way for all those around him.”

She added that he loved rugby and had a huge circle of friends.

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Nisha also told the court: “I am absolutely devastated. I am heartbroken about losing my boy.

“We will never see his joy or hear his laugh again.”

A tribute was also read out on behalf of Raj’s family, saying: “He excelled in his course, on track for a first honours degree, naturally curious and knowledgable, worked part time alongside his studies, and looked forward to future plans.

“He is incredibly loved and missed everyday by his family and friends, following his sudden yet peaceful departure.”

If you need help or advice regarding any of the themes in this article, you can click here to access Achieve@BU, a mental health resource available to Bournemouth University students, or here, to access WithYou, a drugs and alcohol helpline.

Featured image via Pixabay

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