Bengal: Civil engineering student found dead in his IIT Kharagpur hostel room

Kolkata: A civil engineering student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur was found dead in his hostel room on Sunday, with preliminary investigations suggesting death by suicide, police said.

The deceased, a resident of Bihar, had reportedly planned to return home on Sunday. “His bags were found packed,” an officer said.

“The door of the student’s room at Madanmohan Malviya Hall was locked from the inside. An IIT staff member informed the police after a woman called the campus office,” the officer added, requesting anonymity.

He further said that the student had apparently spoken to the caller over the phone shortly before dying by suicide. “The caller claimed to be a resident of Delhi,” the officer said, adding that the caller’s identity has not been disclosed as the case is still under investigation.

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The student’s body was sent for postmortem, and his family has been informed.

The IIT Kharagpur authorities had not made any statement as of Sunday afternoon.

Two more students have died by suicide on the campus since January. A fourth-year student died by suicide on April 20, while a third-year undergraduate student was found dead in his hostel room on January 12.

Following the April 20 incident, IIT Kharagpur authorities introduced barcodes on every hostel room door. Students can scan the code to seek help from on-campus counsellors.

If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918; Roshni Foundation (Secunderabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000; ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290