IIT-Guwahati student found dead in hostel, family alleges ragging

A first-year student of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Guwahati was found dead in his hostel room inside the institute’s campus on Wednesday night, police said on Thursday.

While police suspect it to be a case of suicide, the 20-year-old deceased’s family alleged he was ragged and murdered and demanded a high-level probe into the matter.

The student was from Bihar’s Samastipur area and pursuing B-Tech at the institute.

“We have sent the body to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for postmortem. We will get a clear picture once we get the report,” a police officer said, seeking anonymity.

According to the authorities at the institute, the body was found on Wednesday night. “His body was found in his hostel room on Wednesday night and we immediately informed the police. A team of police arrived and took the body for an autopsy,” an IIT official said, requesting not to be named.

While the police officer quoted above said it “appears to be a case of suicide”, the family alleged the student was ragged and murdered in the hostel.

“It is a clear case of murder and now the authorities are trying to establish this as a suicide. He was ragged several times and he also informed the authorities but they did not pay attention,” the deceased’s father said, adding that they have filed a police complaint against the institute for alleged negligence.

While the institute did not comment on the family’s claims, in a statement, it said: “It is with deep regret that IIT Guwahati shares the unfortunate news of the death of a male student on campus on 10th April, 2024. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family, and we are providing them with the necessary support during this difficult time. The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate incident. Our thoughts are with the grieving family.”