Indian Student Cheistha Kochhar Run Over by a Truck in London

33-year-old Indian student, Cheistha Kochhar, lost her life in London after being struck by a truck while cycling back to her home. Kochhar, who had previously worked with the public policy think-tank NITI Aayog, was pursuing a PhD at the London School of Economics (LSE).

The news of her untimely demise was shared by Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog, in a post on “X’. “Cheistha Kochar worked with me on the #LIFE programme in @NITIAayog. She was in the #Nudge unit and had gone to do her Ph.D in behavioural science at #LSE. Passed away in a terrible traffic incident while cycling in London. She was bright, brilliant & brave and always full of life. Gone away too early. RIP,” posted Kant.

Kochhar, a resident of Gurugram, Haryana, had relocated to London in September 2023 to pursue her PhD in organizational behaviour management at LSE. Prior to this, she had completed her studies at institutions such as Delhi University, Ashoka University, and the Universities of Pennsylvania and Chicago. She had also served as a senior advisor at the National Behavioural Insights Unit of India at NITI Aayog from 2021 to 2023.

The incident occurred on March 19 when Kochhar was hit by a garbage truck while cycling home from LSE. Her husband, Prashant, who was cycling ahead of her, rushed to her aid but tragically, she succumbed to her injuries on the spot. Kochhar's father, retired Lieutenant General Dr SP Kochhar, expressed his grief in an emotional LinkedIn post, stating his struggles to repatriate his daughter's remains from London.