The body of a researcher was found hanging inside a hall in IIT-Kharagpur this afternoon. The researcher's body was discovered hanging from the BR Ambedkar Hall around 2 pm. This is the fifth suspected case of suicide at the premier institute this year.
The body was recovered by the Hijli outpost police under Kharagpur Town Police.
The man was identified as Harshkumar Pandey (27), from Jharkhand. An investigation has been launched to determine how the incident occurred. His body has been sent for a post-mortem.
Pandey was pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.
When the researcher's father, Manoj Kumar Pandey, couldn't reach his son over the phone, he contacted the security personnel at the IIT. They went to check and found his room locked. The authorities then informed the Hijli police. Around 2:00 PM, the body was recovered and sent to the BC Roy Hospital at IIT Kharagpur, where doctors declared him dead.
With this incident, the number of unnatural deaths at IIT Kharagpur this year alone has risen to six. In five of those cases, the bodies were found hanging. The last case had occurred two months ago in July, when Chandradeep Pawar, a second-year Electrical Engineering student from Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, died after choking on medication.
Since taking charge on June 23 this year, IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty has taken multiple measures to prevent student suicides on campus. Initiatives such as the SETU app, Mother Campus, and other programs have been launched to promote the mental well-being of students. On September 10, World Suicide Prevention Day, he even joined a torchlight procession with the students.
| Helplines | |
|---|---|
| Vandrevala Foundation for Mental Health | 9999666555 or help@vandrevalafoundation.com |
| TISS iCall | 022-25521111 (Monday-Saturday: 8 am to 10 pm) |
| (If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.) | |
