Fourth Death Since January: Another IIT-KGP student found dead in hostel, probe on

According to police, Ritam Mondal, a fourth-year student, had returned to the institute on Wednesday after spending summer vacation at his Kolkata home.

Written by Atri Mitra

Kolkata | Updated: July 19, 2025 05:10 AM IST

2 min read

IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kharagpur death, IIT Kharagpur student hanging, IIT Kharagpur suicide, Kolkata news, WEst Bengal news, Indian express, current affairs

On January 12, third-year electrical engineering student Shaon Malik was found hanging in his hostel room. On April 20, a final-year student of Ocean Engineering, Aniket Walker, was found dead in similar conditions.

A 21-year-old mechanical engineering student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur in West Bengal was found hanging in his hostel room on Friday morning, with preliminary investigations suggesting death by suicide, police said.

According to police, Ritam Mondal, a fourth-year student, had returned to the institute on Wednesday after spending summer vacation at his Kolkata home.

“Having returned to the campus after the long summer vacation, Mondal had resumed his classes on Thursday. As per the records reviewed from the Institute’s SARTH Counselling Centre, there were no prior indicators of mental health concerns. The faculty advisor from the department also mentioned that there were no apparent academic and non-academic issues that caught their attention,” the IIT-Kharagpur said in a release.

The institute also said that it has initiated the process of filing an FIR.

“The institute is extending full cooperation to facilitate the process. Additionally, the institute has constituted a fact-finding committee to examine the incident further and report at the earliest,” said the release.

Meanwhile, police have also started an investigation into the incident.

This is the fourth unnatural death at IIT-Kharagpur since January this year.

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On May 4, third-year B-Tech student Mohammad Asif Qamar was found dead in his hostel room.

Atri Mitra

Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain. Experience Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express. Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news. Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions. Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal. Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla. Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent. Education Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting. Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More

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