student-dies-by-suicide-at-iit-kharagpur-third-case-this-year

Another suspected case of suicide has rocked the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, with a third-year Civil Engineering student found dead inside his hostel room in the early hours of Sunday. This marks the third student death at the prestigious institute under similar circumstances this year, prompting fresh concern over the mental health crisis in premier academic institutions.

 

The deceased, identified as Mohammad Asif Qamar, aged 22, was discovered hanging from the ceiling fan of his room in the SDS block of Madan Mohan Malviya (MMM) Hall. According to police, the incident came to light when fellow students raised an alarm after Asif failed to respond to repeated calls since Saturday night. His room had been locked from inside.

 

“At around 3.30 a.m. on Sunday, police personnel from the Hijli outpost, located within the campus, reached the hostel and broke open the door. Asif was found hanging. He was immediately rushed to BC Roy Hospital on the campus, where doctors declared him dead,” said a police officer.

 

The body was later sent to the Kharagpur Subdivisional Hospital for post-mortem. Police said a full investigation is underway, and they are probing all possible angles behind the student’s death.

 

Asif hailed from Garahisar village in Bihar’s Sheohar district. His family has been informed and is on its way to Kharagpur, officers confirmed.

 

The latest incident has amplified concern on campus as it follows two earlier student suicides reported this year. In April, Aniket Walkar, a fourth-year student of Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture from Maharashtra, was found dead in his hostel room. Earlier in January, Shaun Malik, a third-year Electrical Engineering student, was discovered in similar circumstances. Notably, a faculty member also died unnaturally just days prior to Malik’s death.

 

The recurring nature of these incidents has triggered a wave of anxiety and introspection among the academic community and alumni network. Mental health experts and students have called for immediate interventions to address psychological distress among students.