New Delhi: Delhi Police have filed a case of abetment to suicide in connection with the death of a 31-year-old MSc student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, officials said. The case was registered as students continued their protests on the campus for the second consecutive day.
Investigators are examining the events preceding the student’s death and are also trying to determine whether any person or institution played a role in the incident, officials said.
The student, enrolled in the physics department, allegedly died by suicide on August 22 after jumping from the sixth floor of a building inside the IIT Delhi campus. According to the preliminary findings, he entered the institute through the main gate at around 8 am and proceeded to the Lecture Hall Complex. He then reportedly took a lift to the sixth floor before jumping from the front portion of the building.
Police had earlier said that no suicide note was recovered from the site. The student’s mobile phone has since been taken for forensic examination, as reported by Hindustan Times. Police have also asked IIT Delhi to provide his counselling records and other relevant documents.
The student’s death led to protests across the campus, with students demanding accountability from the administration. They called for the resignation of the dean and associate dean of the Students Welfare Office, besides seeking the removal of the head of the physics department.
The protesting students alleged that the institute did not respond adequately to the student’s mental-health crisis or arrange proper counselling for him. They claimed he had been facing severe emotional distress after his father’s death.
The student’s brother has separately accused the IIT Delhi administration of displaying insensitive and dismissive behaviour towards the family. In a telephonic conversation with ANI, he described the circumstances that, according to him, preceded his brother’s death.
“My brother was very close to my father, who died in 2020 and he was heartbroken and fell into depression,” the brother told ANI. He said his brother had a serious and prolonged mental-health condition and had shown warning signs in the past.
“My brother attempted suicide twice before taking the step,” the brother said. He alleged that officials at IIT Delhi failed to treat his brother with adequate care during the crisis and were “very rude.”
“They insulted my mother also, saying ‘we look after 2000 students at a time and you cannot handle one student’,” he added.
The Cockroach Janta Party has also expressed solidarity with the protesting students and extended its support to their demands.
Institute Announces External Probe
IIT Delhi said on Tuesday that it would establish an external inquiry committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
In a statement expressing profound grief and shock, the institute said students, teachers and other staff members would contribute financially to support the bereaved family.
The institute’s response came after the protests disrupted academic activities on campus for two days. The students have continued to demand answers and action from the IIT Delhi administration over its handling of the case.