Tragic Incident at IIT Kharagpur

A fourth-year B Tech student, Ritam Mondal, was discovered hanging in his hostel room at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur on Friday. This marks the fourth such incident of unnatural death on the campus since January. The 21-year-old mechanical engineering student, originally from Kolkata, was residing in the Rajendra Prasad (RP) Hall hostel building. According to an institute official, Mondal had returned to his room after dinner on Thursday night without exhibiting any unusual behavior, as noted by one of his hostelmates.

Discovery and Immediate Response

The following morning, when repeated knocks on Mondal’s door went unanswered, campus police and security personnel intervened. They forced open the door around noon and found him hanging. The student’s family has been notified of the tragic event. The incident has sent shockwaves throughout the campus community, raising concerns about student well-being and mental health support.

Previous Incidents Highlight a Disturbing Trend

This recent tragedy follows three other similar incidents at IIT Kharagpur this year. On January 12, Shaon Malik, a third-year electrical engineering student, was found hanging in his hostel room. Subsequently, on April 20, Aniket Walker, a final-year Ocean Engineering student, was discovered dead under similar circumstances. Most recently, on May 4, Mohammad Asif Qamar, a third-year B-Tech student, was also found deceased in his hostel room.

Institute’s Measures for Student Support

In response to these incidents, IIT Kharagpur has implemented several measures to support students’ mental health. Bar codes have been installed on the gates of every hostel room, allowing students to access counseling services by scanning them at any time. Additionally, the institute has launched a ‘Campus Mothers’ program where women faculty and staff members provide emotional mentorship to students.