PhD scholar found dead in IIT Kharagpur

A PhD scholar was found dead in IIT Kharagpur on Saturday (September 20, 2025). The 27-year-old researcher’s body was found inside the B.R. Ambedkar Hall around 2 p.m.

The deceased, Harshkumar Pandey from Jharkhand, was pursuing research in mechanical engineering.

After the researcher’s father could not reach him over the phone, he contacted the institute’s security. His room was found locked following which the institute alerted local police.

Pandey’s body was recovered in the afternoon and sent to the B.C. Roy Hospital at IIT Kharagpur, where doctors declared him dead. 

With this incident, the number of unnatural deaths in IIT Kharagpur in 2025 touched six, five of these are suspected cases of death by suicide, and one person died after choking on medication. 

“The administration has initiated the filing of an FIR, and the police have commenced an investigation into the incident. The institute is extending full cooperation to the authorities,” an official release from IIT Kharagpur said. 

The director of the institute, Professor Suman Chakraborty, expressed grief over the incident and offered his condolences.

Series of deaths

Pandey’s death follows that of a 21-year-old B. Tech student, Ritam Mondal, who was found in his hostel room on July 18. On May 4, Mohammad Asif Qamar, 22, a third-year B.Tech student, was found dead in his room. In April, a final year student, Aniket Walker, 22, from Maharashtra ended his life. This was preceded by the death of Shaon Malik, 21, a third-year student of electrical engineering. 

Steps for student well-being 

In May, after Qasam’s death, the Supreme Court had asked if an FIR had been registered and sought a report. Later, the court questioned why so many students were dying by suicide at the institute. 

With the rising mental health issues and student deaths, the institute started an integrated mental health support system and formed a 10-member committee comprising psychologists, legal professionals, educationists, counsellors, and alumni.

The newly appointed director, Mr. Chakraborty, launched the ‘campus mother’ programme and an AI-driven student welfare app called HEART. However, the concept of ‘campus mothers’ was met with mixed reviews, with many mental health experts calling it “gendered” and a “surface-level intervention”.

(People in distress or having suicidal thoughts can seek counselling by calling the suicide prevention helpline number: DISHA - 0471-2552056, 1056)