IIT-Kharagpur student found hanging in hostel room, investigation underway

Kolkata: A third-year student of Kharagpur IIT was found hanging inside a hostel room on Sunday morning.

Sources said the student Shaon Malik (21) of Kasba in Kolkata was studying in the third year of Electrical Engineering. On Sunday morning, his parents arrived at the Kharagpur IIT hostel to meet their son. Despite repeated knockings on the door, there was no response. He was also not receiving phone calls. Parents informed their son’s friends. After breaking the door, Malik was found hanging from the ceiling. Police were informed.

Superintendent of Police (SP) of West Midnapore, Dhritiman Sarkar conducted a spot enquiry. Later, the body of the student was sent for autopsy at Midnapore Medical College and Hospital. Police have registered an unnatural death case and started a probe. On Monday, forensic experts visited the spot and collected samples from the place of occurrence. It is suspected that Malik committed suicide. However, the cause of the suicide is yet to be found out.

IIT-Kharagpur, in a statement, said: “With a sense of utter shock, the students, staff and faculty members deeply mourn the sudden loss of Shaon Malik, a third-year student from the department of Electrical Engineering. He was found dead in Azad Hall of Residence premises on the morning of January 12.”

The Azad Hall of Residence is one of the hostels in the institute. “Upon discovery of the incident, the campus security and medical teams were immediately alerted... The police are conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Malik’s death. The institute is fully cooperating with the authorities,” it said.

Two days ago, a Kharagpur IIT staff member was found hanging. He had committed suicide.