KARACHI, March 28: The principal of the Dawood College of Engineering and Technology committed suicide on Monday by flinging himself off the DCET rooftop, police said.

They said Prof Salman Baloch, in his late 50s, was last seen leaving his office and climbing the stairs to the rooftop a few minutes before he was found in a pool of blood on the ground.

“Initial interaction with the family and his colleagues suggests that he was under psychological stress,” said SSP Amir Farooqi of the Jamshed Town. “Some of his colleagues felt even today that he was not well and tried to accompany him, but Prof Baloch asked them not to follow him when he last left his room in the college.”

He said Prof Baloch got to the rooftop of the college and flung himself off to the ground. He died on the spot, added the SSP of Jamshed Town.

The record found by the investigators led to the fact that Prof Baloch was diabetic and had also been under mental stress for quite some time for unknown reasons.

He had also lost sight in one eye. He had resigned as college principal on Jan 18 on health grounds and was waiting for the approval of the resignation by the authorities concerned.

“He was a resident of the Muhammad Ali Cooperative Housing Society and father of two daughters,” said an official at the Jamshed Quarters police station.

Prof Baloch had obtained a degree in metallurgy engineering from the DCET more than three decades ago. During his student life, he was associated with the Baloch Students Organization.

The extreme step taken by Prof Balcoh came as a rude shock to his friends and colleagues, who apparently found no reason that made the ‘polite and bold person’ kill himself.

“Even today (Monday) he met several teachers, students and heard their issues before suggesting measures to resolve them,” said Waheed Bhutto, the chairman of the college’s chemical engineering department and a close friend and old colleague of Prof Baloch.

He said Prof Baloch belonged to a well-off family and there was no problem which was in the knowledge of the college’s faculty, though Prof Bhutto said he had not been well for the last few years.

“He had been appointed principal for more than two years, but he could not continue with that position for more than a year due to his deteriorating health. He stepped down and only a couple of months back he was assigned the task again, though he was not willing to take it,” he added.

He said the entire faculty, as well as hundreds of students of the college, was traumatised due to his death in such a way and needed to know several unanswered questions.

“They want to know the exact reason that compelled Prof Baloch to commit suicide. We hope our police and investigation agencies will come up with facts to quash speculation,” added Prof Bhutto.