Suspecting the worst for weeks, friends still shocked

Although Anirban Majumdar's closest friends at Penn had only known him for a few months, they said they would not forget his kindness and sincerity.

The first-year Engineering graduate student, who had been missing for two weeks, was found Sunday in the Schuylkill River. And while friends were bracing for the worst, they said they still found themselves shocked by the confirmation of his death.

"I really miss him when I'm doing my homework now," said first-year Engineering graduate student Nikhil Dinesh, one of Majumdar's roommates. "I keep waiting for him to come with some problem, or I start to walk over to his lab, and then I realize, 'Shit, he's not there.' It's unbelievable. That's the hardest part, I just can't believe that he's dead."

Though the circumstances surrounding his drowning have not been determined, Majumdar's roommates said they do not believe suicide is to blame. An investigation is under way, but police officials acknowledge that they may never be able to conclude whether Majumdar's death was an accident or suicide. No immediate signs of foul play were found.

Friends said they remember Majumdar as a helpful, supportive friend and a dedicated student during his time at the University, which lasted only this semester.

"He was a sort of fun-loving guy, but very sincere also," said first-year Engineering graduate student Prasanna Chaporkar, another roommate. "It's very strange actually because he was so happy and such a nice person. I never saw him depressed, and I saw him daily, for at least an hour every day -- that was the minimum. I never saw him stressed. It's very difficult to believe that he committed suicide."

Originally from Calcutta, India, Majumdar spent his undergraduate years in his native country, and had worked for several years as a software engineer for Wipro before beginning doctoral studies at Penn. His roommates said that he had many friends from his undergraduate years and professional career who called over the past few weeks in search of any information.

Majumdar also felt especially strong ties to home and family, friends said.

"Last year he lost his father, and after that his relationship with his mother became more intimate," Chaporkar said. "I don't know how to console her, basically. I am very afraid to call her. But I have been in constant contact with her over the past two weeks. We were her only interface.

"He was very close to his family, and he said it's always very important to be there for your family when they need you," Chaporkar said of Majumdar, who had planned to return to India eventually.

But friends said they thought Majumdar had also adjusted well to life in the United States. Chaporkar added that he and Majumdar had been planning a sightseeing trip to California for winter break.

Majumdar's roommates said he was engaging and thoughtful. They recalled that he often joked around, eager to put smiles on friends' faces.

Majumdar's roommates said that while he was easy to get along with, he was a mature, focused and ambitious student. All agreed that Majumdar's work was a high priority for him, and that he was doing well in his classes.

"He had lots of dreams and he wanted to do something really good for society," Chaporkar said. "That's why he left his job and came here, so he could get his Ph.D. and make a difference. He wanted to do something substantial to make life easier for people... to make people more comfortable."

But even though work was extremely important to him, Majumdar's friends said that he seemed to always have time for others.

"He was very supportive," Chaporkar said. "If you had any problem he would always help."

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