The body of a PhD researcher was discovered hanging from the ceiling of his hostel room at IIT-Kharagpur on Saturday, marking the fifth suspected suicide at the institute this year.
Harshkumar Pandey, 27, a resident of Ranchi and pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, was found dead in his room at BR Ambedkar Hall around 2 pm, officials said.
An IIT-Kharagpur spokesperson stated that Pandey’s parents were unable to reach him by phone, and the room was locked from the inside. Police were called in to break open the door, only to find his body hanging.
Since January, five students at the premier institute have reportedly died by hanging. The last such incident occurred on July 18, when fourth-year Mechanical Engineering student Ritam Mondal was found dead in Rajendra Prasad Hall. Another student, Chandradip Pawar, a second-year Electrical Engineering student from Madhya Pradesh, died from choking on a pill on July 21.
In response to the rising number of suicides, IIT-Kharagpur has introduced several initiatives aimed at helping students manage stress and mental health challenges.