Kolkata: In a mysterious circumstance, a third-year Civil Engineering student of IIT Kharagpur was found dead inside his hostel room in the wee hours of Sunday.According to sources, around 2:53 am on Sunday a call was received at Kharagpur IIT where a woman reportedly claimed that Md. Asif Qamar, a third-year undergraduate student of Civil Engineering department had committed suicide.
Immediately, the security personnel rushed to the room of Qamar and found him hanging from the ceiling. After a while, police arrived and sent the body for autopsy.
The institute in a statement said: “It is with deep sadness that the IIT Kharagpur condoles the untimely demise of Md Asif Qamar a third year under graduate student in the department of civil engineering at around 2:53 am on May 4.”The statement said: “A call came at the security emergency number from an external source that Md Asif Qamar has committed self-harm.
The security response team rushed immediately to the Pt M M M Hall of Residence (Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Hall) where the student was found dead in his room.”
“The team of doctors, administration and police also reached the spot. The family of Qamar has also been contacted about the incident,” it said. An investigation is currently underway by the police to determine the circumstances surrounding this tragic event. And the institute is fully cooperating with the authorities, the statement added. Sources informed that police are checking the call details of Qamar to find out whom he was talking to on Saturday night before committing suicide. Also, police are trying to get the number from which the call was received at Kharagpur IIT informing about Qamar’s suicide.
On April 20 Aniket Walkar, a fourth-year student in the department of Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture, was found hanging in his hostel room. On January 12, the body of a third-year undergraduate student Shaon Malik was found in his hostel room.
In June 2024, Devika Pillai, a fourth-year student of biotechnology and biochemical engineering had died by suicide.
IIT Kharagpur authorities said the institute has counsellors 24×7 hours to help students fight any stress and depression. After April 20, the institute put up barcodes on the door of every boarder which can be scanned by any boarder during moments of acute mental stress for immediate counselling
in privacy. With agency inputs