Brendan Devenney, 24, form Mullingar, Co Westmeath was found in a Mumbai hotel room on Tuesday. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but doctors could only certify his death.
The backpacker had checked into the hotel the day before, and it is understood that he was soon due to catch a flight to Goa for the last leg of his journey home.
Devenney reportedly lost consciousness after drinking alcohol. Local police said that his death was originally thought to be accidental, but it may be upgraded to a murder investigation after some locals raised the possibility that the man’s drink was spiked.
Police are now awaiting the results of a postmortem examination before deciding on a course of action.