IIT Guwahati Student Found Dead At Campus, Suicide Suspected

A third-year BTech student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati was found dead on the institute's campus on Sunday afternoon. The student has been identified as Ritesh Raj Singh, a native of Puri in Odisha. He was from the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Department and a resident of the Brahmaputra Hostel. The police are suspecting suicide.

According to police sources, the student allegedly jumped from the fifth floor of a building on the campus at around 2:30 pm on July 26.

"The Institute is cooperating fully with the police, who are investigating the matter, and we are awaiting their findings before we share any further information on this matter," an official statement from IIT Guwahati read. 

The initial investigation has revealed that Singh had secured an internship with Goldman Sachs and was considered as extremely bright student. He was the competitive programming head of Coding Club, IIT Guwahati.

IIT Guwahati Director Professor Devendra Jalihal on Sunday evening sent an email to the students, informing them of the death of their batchmate.

The email, accessed by NDTV, read: "It is with deep sorrow that I inform you of the untimely demise of Ritesh Raj Singh, a 3rd year BTech student from the Computer Science and Engineering... He passed away this morning. This is a profound loss to our IITG family."

The email did not reveal the cause of death or mention anything about the police investigation.

Singh's body has been sent to the Guwahati Medical College for a post-mortem examination. His parents are on the way.

A Threat From A Professor?

According to a Reddit thread titled "Does anyone know what happened at IIT Guwahati today?", Singh was caught while acting as a proxy for his friend in an online assessment (OA) for an internship. Singh had reportedly secured a CGPA of over 9 and had an offer from Goldman Sachs.

He was allegedly threatened with action by the Student Disciplinary Committee (SDC) by a professor. According to a comment on Reddit, the professor has a "history of going overboard while threatening students with punishment."

The institute has not made any comment on these viral claims. In an official statement, IIT-G requested people not to fall prey to rumours.

"We request everyone to refrain from speculation until further facts are established," the Institute said.

NDTV could not independently verify the claim. A comment from IIT Guwahati is awaited.

The Institute said it is deeply committed to the mental health and well-being of its students. Through the SAATHI Counselling Club and the Centre for Holistic Wellbeing, IIT Guwahati provides students with access to licensed counsellors and psychiatrists, including round-the-clock online counselling support.

The institute witnessed four student suicides in 2024.