Mita Mukherjee
A third-year B.Tech student at IIT Kharagpur was found hanging on the Sarojini Naidu /Indira Gandhi Hall of Residence on the campus on Monday morning, according to officials of the IIT.
Devika Pillai, who hailed from Kerala and studied in the bioscience and biotechnology department was found hanging on the terrace of the hostel, IIT sources said. She held the post of general secretary, social and cultural, Sarojini Naidu /Indira Gandhi Hall.
“Upon discovery of the incident, the campus security and medical teams were immediately alerted. District police authorities have been informed. Her family has also been informed immediately,” a statement issued by the IIT authorities said.
Police investigation has started and the institute is extending all cooperation into the probe, the authorities said.
According, to the police, they will be able to know the reason behind the death after getting the post-mortem report.
The death of Pillai is the third such incident on the campus since 2022.
Faizan Ahmed, a student of mechanical engineering department of the institute,who hailed from Assam died in October 2022. Initially, the authorities had claimed that the boy committed suicide. But his parents had complained that their son had been murdered. Later, Calcutta
High Court had ordered a probe by Special Investigation Team.
A student of electrical engineering department died after committing suicide on the campus last year.
The IIT officials said they were not sure why Pillai took the decision to end her life and they will find out whether she was suffering from mental health problems. According to the statement issued by the authorities, the institute ” is committed to the well-being and mental health of students.”
“We have a range of support services available, including counselling and mental health resources, and we urge students to utilise these services whenever needed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ms Pillai’s family and friends during this time of profound loss,” the statement says.
An internal investigation will also be held to find out whether there were some other reasons behind the death, sources on the campus said.