A fourth-year B Tech student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur was found hanging in his hostel room on Friday, marking the fourth unnatural death on campus this year.
The deceased, 21-year-old Ritam Mondal, was a student of mechanical engineering and resided at the Rajendra Prasad (RP) Hall of Residence. According to institute officials, Ritam, a resident of Kolkata, had returned to his room after dinner on Thursday night. Hostelmates reported that there was no indication of any unusual behaviour at the time.
When repeated knocks on his door went unanswered on Friday morning, campus police and security personnel forcibly entered the room around 12 noon and found him hanging. His family has since been informed, officials confirmed.
Series of Student Deaths Raises Concern at IIT Kharagpur
Ritam Mondal’s death is the fourth such case reported at IIT Kharagpur in 2025, sending ripples of concern across the campus community.
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Earlier this year, on January 12, third-year electrical engineering student Shaon Malik was found hanging in his hostel. On April 20, final-year Ocean Engineering student Aniket Walker was also discovered dead under similar circumstances. A third incident occurred on May 4, when Mohammad Asif Qamar, a third-year B Tech student, was found deceased in his room.
In response to the troubling pattern, the institute has introduced several support initiatives. Barcodes have been installed on hostel room doors to provide instant access to mental health counselling services. Additionally, the ‘Campus Mothers’ programme has been launched, wherein women faculty and staff members mentor students and provide emotional guidance.
