IIT-Kharagpur in process of forming committee to examine factors behind students' unnatural deaths

KOLKATA: IIT-Kharagpur has initiated the process for formation of a committee to look into the factors behind the recent “unnatural death” of an undergraduate student in hostel and other similar cases in the past, a top institute official said on Saturday.

The terms of reference and composition of the panel will be announced in two-three days, the institute's Acting Director Amit Patra told PTI. "The committee will examine the institutional support system and environment for hostel boarders in the context of recent tragedies and whatever else needs to be done,” he said.

Asked if the mother and brother of the deceased student wrote to IIT-Kharagpur authorities demanding an independent probe into his death, Patra said, "Yes, they have urged the institute to look into the circumstances leading to the incident, and the formation of the committee is a step to address this issue."

Aniket Walkar, a fourth-year student of the Department of Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture, was found hanging in his hostel room on April 20. "It is not a case of demand. They have written to us listing their views on the matter, and we are in the process of addressing the issues as we lost one of our children. We are with the family in their moment of grief," Patra said.

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Two "unnatural deaths" at IIT Kharagpur this year

The family of Walkar, who hailed from Gondia district in Maharashtra, had called for a thorough investigation into the death after visiting the campus. Patra said the institute authorities have extended all possible support to the police, which has been investigating into the death of Walker. “The well-being, happiness and academic success of our students matter to us. They are our children,” he said.

This is the second “unnatural death” of a student on the campus this year. On January 12, the body of a third-year undergraduate student was found in his hostel room and in June 2024, a fourth-year student of biotechnology and biochemical engineering had died allegedly by suicide.

Among other measures, in the wake of these deaths, a bar code had recently been put up behind the door of every hostel inmate, who can scan it to get assistance in cases of acute depression, officials said.