Ghanaian student dies under suspicious circumstances at Indian university

A Ghanaian student at Andhra University in India has died under suspicious circumstances, prompting concerns from both university officials and the Ghanaian diplomatic mission.

The deceased, identified as 29-year-old Ivan Obeng Lartey, was a first-year Business Management student and one of 30 Ghanaian nationals currently enrolled at the university. He was residing in Room 401 of the YMCA hostel located on Beach Road.

According to officials, Lartey was rushed to a corporate hospital in the early hours of Wednesday, 30 April 2025, by fellow students who reported that he had been suffering from a high fever and vomiting. He was later transferred to the King George Hospital (KGH), where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

AU Chief Warden, N.M. Yugandhar, expressed concern over the sequence of events, stating that the university authorities were not alerted in time to intervene.

“None of our hostel management staff, including me, were informed about his sudden illness and hospitalisation. If we had been informed, we would have provided emergency medical assistance,” Mr Yugandhar told The Hindu newspaper.

University officials have since notified the Ghanaian Embassy in New Delhi of the student’s death. A post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted after a representative from the embassy arrives in the city on Thursday, 1 May.

The circumstances surrounding Lartey’s illness and subsequent death remain unclear, with the post-mortem report expected to shed more light. Meanwhile, both the university and the Ghanaian community in India are awaiting official clarification.