BTech Student Found Hanging In IIT Kharagpur Hostel Room, 4th Case Since Jan

A fourth-year student of B Tech was found hanging in his hostel room at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur campus on Friday, the fourth unnatural death case at the campus since January this year.

Ritam Mondal (21), a student of mechanical engineering, was found hanging in his room at Rajendra Prasad (RP) Hall hostel building on the campus, an institute official told PTI.

The student, who hailed from Kolkata, had retired to his room after dinner on Thursday night, and there was no abnormality in his behaviour, one of his hostelmates said.

The IIT KGP official said that, as repeated knocks on his door did not evoke any response, in the morning, police at the outpost on the campus, accompanied by institute security guards, broke open the door at around 12 noon and found him hanging.

The student's family has been informed, the official said.

The student's death sent shockwaves through the campus.

On January 12, third-year electrical engineering student Shaon Malik, was found hanging in his hostel room. On April 20, final-year student of Ocean Engineering Aniket Walker was found dead in similar conditions.

On May 4, third-year B-Tech student Mohammad Asif Qamar was found dead in his hostel room.

Apart from installing bar codes on the gates of every hostel room where the helpline number of counselling services can be scanned by a student in emotional stress at any hour, the institute recently launched a 'Campus Mothers' programme - women faculty and staff members act to mentor students emotionally.

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