Kolkata: In a tragic incident, a third-year Electrical Engineering student of IIT-Kharagpur, Shaon Malik, was found dead in his hostel room on Sunday, an institute official confirmed.
Malik’s parents, who had come to visit him, discovered his body hanging inside the room at Azad Hall of Residence, one of the institute’s hostels. Concerned after he failed to respond to repeated calls, his parents, with the help of institute personnel, forcibly opened the door.
According to the official, Malik had spoken to his parents over the phone the previous night, and everything seemed normal. The incident has left the IIT-Kharagpur community in shock.
In a statement, IIT-Kharagpur said, "With a sense of utter shock, the students, staff, and faculty members deeply mourn the sudden loss of Shaon Malik, a third-year student from the Department of Electrical Engineering. He was found dead in the Azad Hall of Residence premises on the morning of January 12."
The institute immediately alerted campus security and medical teams upon discovering the incident and has assured full cooperation with the police, who are conducting a thorough investigation. A senior police officer confirmed that the post-mortem examination has been completed and was videographed as part of the probe.
Describing Malik as an academically gifted and dedicated student with a promising future in Electrical Engineering, IIT-Kharagpur expressed deep sorrow over the incident. "The institute is devastated by this tragic event. Our foremost priority at this moment is to extend our heartfelt condolences and support to Malik's family and friends. We are providing all necessary assistance to help them through this incredibly difficult time,” the statement said.
The institute emphasized its commitment to the mental health and well-being of its students, highlighting the availability of counseling and mental health resources. "We urge students to utilize these services whenever needed," it added.
This tragic event follows the recent death of an IIT-Kharagpur junior lab technician-cum-assistant, whose body was recovered from one of the campus quarters a few days ago.
The police investigation into Malik’s death is ongoing, with authorities seeking to uncover the circumstances surrounding this heartbreaking loss. The institute has also announced an internal probe and is planning to implement measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
With PTI inputs