Kharagpur: An active member of IIT-Kharagpur’s drama society, a senior executive member with a student-run NGO, and among the toppers in electrical engineering department, Shaon Malik was unlike any other of his batchmates.
“I still can’t believe Shaon ended his life. He was always filled with suggestions, enthusiastic about plays and an actor himself. I met him last in December. He was one person who was always ready to help with a smile on his face. I cannot think why he would do this,” Sandeep, a member of Bengali drama society Durheen, told ThePrint.
On Sunday, the 21-year-old was found hanging in his hostel room at the Azad Hall of Residence. Shaon’s parents would visit him at campus every week. On Sunday, when he didn’t answer calls, they went to his room only to find their son was no more.
“We are probing every aspect very closely… The post mortem report is awaited. He spoke to his mother around 11.20 p.m. on Saturday. Shaon was aspiring for a summer internship abroad. We are looking into the case and leaving no stone unturned,” a police officer told ThePrint.
Security has been tightened at the Azad Hall of Residence, while additional guards and police have been deployed at the entrance of the hostel building at the IIT-Kharagpur campus.
Even as students carry on with their usual business, there’s an uneasy calm. Some steal a quick glance, while others consciously ignore the surroundings and happenings with their headphones securely placed to cut off noise. Life goes on in the bustling IIT campus but the shadow of a fellow batchmate’s death lingers on.
A third-year agricultural and food engineering student told ThePrint that Shaon was a standout student, something which batchmates could only dream of being at this prestigious institute of the country.
“Shaon was a DR (Department Rank) 2, he stood second among his batchmates of the electrical engineering department. It’s a towering achievement. His CGPA has been consistently above 9. In simple terms, you are considered brilliant if you get CGPA above 7-7.5 in IIT. So imagine a student now with consistently above 9 CGPA and DR 2. He is what many would dream to be at IIT,” the student explained.
Many like Nikhil are still processing the fact that a friendly batchmate is no more. “He was staying in a single-sharing room. With almost 176 boarders at the Azad Hall which had a mix of students from various departments and years, one room would have up-to four students packed in due to limited accommodation,” recalled the student from a different department but residing at the Azad Hall.
“Shaon would enter and exit from the back gate because he lived in the building, which usually was occupied by senior students. But at the dining hall, he would be seen mixing well, laughing and talking with others. We never felt there was anything wrong with him or he was socially awkward,” Nikhil added.
A student from Kolkata’s Garden High School, Shaon had ranked 5th from his class in the Indian School Certificate (ISC) board examinations and secured All India Rank (AIR) 5297 in the JEE mains and advanced. In the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE), Shaon was ranked 214. His AIR was 72 in IISER Aptitude Test, according to his profile in LinkedIn.
His interests extended beyond studies as well. Shaon was a senior executive member of Gopali Youth Welfare Society, India’s largest student-run NGO based in IIT-Kharagpur, which worked to uplift the lives of students from rural communities, till January last year. The LinkedIn profile also mentions him as a volunteer with the National Service Scheme.
While Shaon’s social media profiles are private, his Facebook and Instagram bio reads arden nationalist, Bengali Hindu, Mohun Bagan football club supporter among others. Incidentally, Shaon’s death coincided with the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, who is regarded by many as the spiritual father of India’s modern nationalist movement.
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‘Even the best struggle’
So, what could have led to the student taking such an extreme step? Some of his batchmates ThePrint spoke to asserted that IIT students were finding it tough to score internships that would secure them a placement with a reputed firm before they graduate.
“Internships are mandatory for third-year students. This internship can then be the bridge to a job placement. With recession and tight placements, even the best of students struggle to secure jobs of their choice,” a student told ThePrint.
Another student pointed out that even the most brilliant of their ilk can be under a lot of pressure and stress thinking about their future outside the secured walls of the IIT campus. In times like this, this student explained, that they don’t think it’s a choice to avail the counselling helplines available at IIT-Kharagpur counselling centre.
Shaon’s case isn’t the only one that’s occurred in IIT-Kharagpur. In June last year, Devika Pillai, a third-year biosciences and biotechnology student, was found dead in the terrace of her hostel. In October 2022, the body of Faizan Ahmed, a student from the mechanical engineering department, was found in his hostel room. In all these cases, the students were bright, young minds with CGPA above 8.
A press statement issued by IIT-Kharagpur, while condoling the tragic incident, asserted its commitment to mental well-being of its students.
“The institute is devastated by this tragic event. Our foremost priority at this moment is to extend our heartfelt condolences and support to Mr. Malik’s family and friends. We are providing all necessary assistance to help them through this incredibly difficult time. IIT-Kharagpur is committed to the well-being and mental health of its students. We have a range of support services available, including counseling and mental health resources, and we urge students to utilise these services whenever needed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Malik’s family and friends during this time of profound loss,” read the statement.
A case of unnatural death was filed by Kharagpur Town Police on Sunday and investigation is underway. Superintendent of Police, West Midnapore, Dhritiman Sarkar, rushed to the IIT campus to take stock of the situation. While sources in the police say post-mortem reports are awaited, forensic evidences are being collected from Malik’s mobile phones and laptops that have been seized for investigation. The police have also questioned his batchmates and roommates he shared the hostel room with before.
As police continue to piece together details, students of IIT-Kharagpur are left grappling with the loss of Shaon, Devika and Faizan that remind them of the dark side of their campus and a competitive world awaiting them.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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Something is rotten at IIT Kharagpur.
The Director V K Tewari has been under severe criticism from several quarters. He has been openly indulging in favouritism and granting special privileges to those near and dear to him.
Tewari’s tenure as the Director has ruined the great institution.