Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh: A first-year MTech student of the National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, was found dead inside his hostel room on Monday, likely of drug overdose, the police said.

A case of culpable homicide has been registered under section 304 of IPC in connection with the death, said Hamirpur Superintendent of Police Aakriti Sharma.

Police have arrested three NIT students and a fourth doing BEd for allegedly supplying 'chitta,' a form of heroin, on campus. The four have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, Mr Sharma said.

Police have reportedly questioned about a dozen students living in the hostel and recovered drugs in various quantities in raids. Such raids were conducted in girls' hostels too.

A forensic team from Mandi attributed the death of the student to the consumption of some intoxicant.

The death comes amid the NIT annual festival, 'Hill Fair', which has been going on for the last three days.

According to police, several students were up till late Sunday night dancing to the DJ on the institute's campus.

Around 4 am, the dead student got a call on his mobile. He was later found dead in his room, students said.

The official spokesman of the institute said the student was found dead when his friends went to wake him up for breakfast.

A health team which came with the police declared the student dead.

The father of the student has called into question the security arrangements on the NIT administration and demanded an answer on how drugs made their way inside.

The NIT director did not respond to the phone calls.