IIT Kanpur PhD scholar dies by suicide; second such case on campus in a month
PTC Web Desk: A 25-year-old PhD research scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur died by suicide on Tuesday after allegedly jumping from the sixth floor of a residential building within the campus, the police said. The deceased has been identified as Swaroop Ishwaram, a native of Churu district in Rajasthan, who was pursuing his doctorate at the Department of Earth Sciences. He was living on the IIT Kanpur campus with his wife, Manju, and their two-year-old daughter.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) SM Qasim Abidi, Ishwaram had been battling anxiety and depression for a long time and had received counselling on multiple occasions. Following the incident, he was rushed to a private hospital on Tuesday afternoon, where he later succumbed to his injuries in the evening.
Police officials said Ishwaram’s wife informed them that he had been under intense mental stress in recent weeks due to his health condition. A forensic team examined the spot, and evidence was collected as part of the investigation. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination, while legal procedures are currently underway. No suicide note was recovered from the scene. As part of the investigation, the police are also questioning Ishwaram’s wife, the DCP added.
Condoling the death, IIT Kanpur Director Manindra Agarwal said the institute had lost a bright and promising researcher.
This incident marks the second student suicide at IIT Kanpur within less than a month. On December 29, another student from Rajasthan was found dead in his hostel room, with a brief suicide note stating, “Sorry everyone.”
Official data indicates that IIT Kanpur has witnessed at least nine student suicides over the past three years and more than 12 in the last five years. In most cases, no suicide note was found.
Meanwhile, the institute is scheduled to submit its response to the Human Rights Commission on January 22 regarding the recent deaths. Authorities said Ishwaram’s case may also be included in an ongoing writ petition related to student suicides filed in 2024.
- With inputs from agencies
