New Delhi: The father of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) student, who died allegedly by suicide in the room of his hostel Tuesday, has questioned why children go through so much stress in the premier institution.
K. Chandra told the media Thursday that his son — a fourth-year student of electrical engineering at IIT Kharagpur — was under tremendous pressure. “I sent him to study. Now he is dead. Why so much stress? Why did my child suffer in IIT,” Chander said a day after the institute informed him that his 21-year-old son’s body had been found hanging.
Chandra, who reached the Kharagpur campus Wednesday, ruled out ragging as the cause of his son’s anxiety. He said his son was stressed due to a project, reportedly adding that the administration should have taken better care in dealing with his son.
K. Kiran Chandra was found hanging in his hostel room Tuesday evening, the institute said the next day. In an official statement, IIT Kharagpur said a police investigation was underway and that the family had arrived on campus.
The statement further read: “With a sense of utter shock, the students, staff and faculty members of IIT Kharagpur deeply mourn the sudden demise of K. Kiran Chandra, a fourth-year dual degree student in the Department of Electrical Engineering.”
The student from Telangana was a boarder at the Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Hall of IIT, Kharagpur.
Kiran Chandra, the institute said, was with two of his roommates till 7.30 pm in the hostel, before they left to join other academic activities. Around 8.30 pm, fellow boarders found his room locked from inside and broke it open. They found him hanging.
He was taken to the B.C. Roy Technology Hospital where he was declared dead shortly before midnight.
Last year, another student’s death rocked IIT, Kharagpur. On 14 October, the partially decomposed body of third-year student Faizan Ahmed was found in his hostel room.
While IIT Kharagpur said Faizan died by suicide, the body was exhumed following a directive by the Calcutta High Court and a second post-mortem was done. The family claimed the student from Assam was murdered on campus and accused the institute of trying to hush up the matter.
If you are feeling suicidal or depressed, please call a helpline number in your state.