IIT Kharagpur to file FIR in student’s suicide after SC steps in, 3 deaths since January

IIT Kharagpur has decided to formally file an FIR in the death of third-year Civil Engineering student Mohammad Asif Qamar. His body was found hanging inside his room at Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Hall of Residence on May 4. The institute had initially informed the local police through both verbal and written communication, but is now proceeding with a formal police complaint.

The decision comes after the Supreme Court, on May 6, took suo motu cognizance of the case and specifically asked whether an FIR had been registered in connection with Qamar’s death. Confirming the development, acting director of IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Amit Patra, stated, “We have always notified the police in case of any unnatural incident. We did the same in Qamar’s case. Now the institute is filing the FIR in accordance with the law so that the investigation can proceed through proper channels.”

Since January 2024, IIT Kharagpur has reported three student suicides. Prior to Qamar’s death, Aniket Walkar, a fourth-year student from the Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture Department, was found dead just two weeks earlier. On January 12, the body of Shaun Malik, a third-year student, was recovered from his hostel room. In June 2024, Devika Pillai, a student of Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering, also died by suicide.

Following these incidents, IIT Kharagpur has started the process of forming a committee to investigate the recent suicides and suggest preventive measures. The institution stated that the purpose of the committee will be to study the circumstances of the cases and recommend steps to prevent such incidents in the future.