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4h ago

PhD Scholar Found Dead at IIT Kharagpur Hostel in Sixth Reported Unnatural Death This Year

Authorities have opened inquiries with an autopsy pending after the researcher was discovered in a locked room.

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A series of measures were introduced by the IIT authorities to prevent students’ death by suicides in the campus. (Representational image)
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Overview

  • The deceased was identified as Harshkumar (Harsh) Pandey, a PhD scholar in mechanical engineering from Ranchi, with multiple outlets reporting his age as 27 and some listing 24.
  • Police recovered the body from BR Ambedkar Hall after the student's father raised an alarm; officers said it appears to be a suicide pending post-mortem findings.
  • IIT Kharagpur said it has initiated an FIR and constituted a fact-finding committee, adding that it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
  • This case is described as the institute’s sixth unnatural death in 2025, including one accidental choking, with several reports counting five suspected suicides this year.
  • The campus has rolled out mental-health measures such as a Dean of Student Well‑being, the Board of Hope, and AI-based apps like Setu/HEART, drawing scrutiny following earlier deaths and a visit by a Supreme Court-appointed task force.