The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur has been struck by yet another tragedy when a 21-year-old student, Ritam Mondal, was discovered hanging in his hostel room on Friday, July 18. This is the fourth alleged suicide at the top institute in a year after Mohammed Asif Qamar in May, Aniket Walkar in April, Shaon Malik in January 2025, and Devika Pillai in June 2024.
Fourth-year Mechanical Engineering student Ritam Mondal was found dead in his hostel room in the Rajendra Prasad (RP) Hall hostel. IIT officials said that he had just come back to the campus after the summer vacation and was also going for classes as usual.
IIT Kharagpur shocker: “There was nothing abnormal”
Ritam came back on Thursday evening to his hostel room after having dinner. Hostel room-mates mentioned that there was nothing abnormal in Ritam’s behavior. But when repeated knocks on his door went unheard in the morning, campus security and police deployed at the IIT outpost broke the door open and found him hanging.
The authorities at once contacted his family and registered a First Information Report (FIR). A fact-finding committee has been constituted to probe the case.
ALSO READ: Sharda University Student Dies By Suicide In Greater Noida Hostel; Police Detain Two For Questioning
‘No Indicator of Mental Health Concern,’ States IIT Kharagpur
IIT Kharagpur, in an official release, stated that there was no indication of mental health issues or academic pressure faced by Ritam.
“According to records seen from the Institute’s SARTH Counselling Centre, there were no previous indications of mental health issues. The faculty advisor also added that there were no discernible academic or non-academic concerns,” the statement added.
The recent suicides in IIT Kharagpur have raised concern
Mohammed Asif Qamar, a third-year civil engineering student, was found dead in his hostel room. He was allegedly on a video call before he died on May this year.
Aniket Walkar, a fourth-year ocean engineering student, took his own life in his hostel April this year.
Shaon Malik, a third-year undergraduate, was found dead in his hostel room January this year.
Psychological Issues in IITs
The tragic incidents have reopened arguments on academic pressure and the absence of proper mental health infrastructure in India’s best institutes. Experts and alumni have requested the IITs to enhance student counseling facilities and provide a healthy academic environment.
ALSO READ: Bank Of Baroda Manager Dies By Suicide At Baramati Branch In Pune, Cites Work Stress In Note
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
