A 21-year-old student of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur was found dead inside his hostel room on Sunday morning. Shaon Malik, a third-year Electrical Engineering student, was discovered hanging from a window grille in his room at Azad Hall of Residence. While the cause of death is suspected to be suicide, the official post-mortem report is still pending.
Malik, who was described as "academically gifted" by the institute, had spoken to his parents the previous evening. His parents, who had traveled from Kolkata to visit him with home-cooked food, became concerned when he did not respond to repeated knocks on his door the following morning. After several unsuccessful attempts to reach him, they, along with other students in the hostel, broke open the door and found his body. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
“We are all deeply shocked by this loss. Shaon was academically gifted, a topper, and passionate about Bengali drama. He was well-liked by professors and students alike. No one noticed any signs of stress or anxiety,” said Amit Patra, Director of IIT Kharagpur. “Our priority is to offer condolences and support to his family in this difficult time.”
Authorities have launched an investigation into the death. Malik’s body has been sent for post-mortem, and forensic teams, along with sniffer dogs, have been deployed to gather further evidence. Samples of Malik's last meal have been collected for analysis as part of the investigation.
This is the second suspected suicide at IIT Kharagpur in the past 48 hours. On Friday, 30-year-old Nasir Ali Mollah, a junior technician from the Chemistry Department, was found hanging in his quarters. Mollah, who had been living on campus since 2022, is believed to have taken his own life due to financial distress. Police discovered a voice note allegedly left by Mollah, in which he did not blame anyone for his death.
The recent deaths follow a pattern of suicides and unexplained deaths at the institute. Last year, Devika Pillai, an academically gifted student from Kerala, was found dead under similar circumstances. In 2022, the body of Faizan Ahmed, a third-year student, was discovered in a semi-decomposed state. Initially ruled a suicide, a second autopsy ordered by the Calcutta High Court revealed gunshot and stab wounds on his body, casting doubt on the original findings. The deaths have raised concerns about the mental health of students at IIT Kharagpur, one of the country’s premier institutes.
