IIT Guwahati faces flak as student’s death sparks protests

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati is battling criticism that it was insensitive after a 21-year-old student allegedly died by suicide, leading to spontaneous protests from the student community.

Angry students told journalists that IIT authorities did not care to take down the body of the male student, who hanged himself in his room, for hours and tried to stop students from contacting his family.

The charges against IIT

IIT officials also tried to delete the video recordings on the mobile phones of some students, media reports quoted unnamed students as saying.

The third-year computer science student was reportedly found dead in his hostel room on Monday. It was the fourth such death in the institute this year. The student, who has not been named, was from Uttar Pradesh.

The dead student

The deceased student reportedly suffered from physical health issues and was disturbed mentally. He was undergoing treatment and could not focus on studies, said one student.

As the news spread, students walked out of their hostels and staged noisy protests.

"Stopped" from contacting family

The protesting students said the IIT was insensitive towards both students and parents.

They said they were prevented from breaking open the hostel room door when the body was first noticed.

One student told media house NDTV that they were also stopped from informing the dead student's family and there was an attempt to delete the videos from their phones by the administration.

Students voice anger

"I saw through the ventilator my friend was hanging from the fan. The guards stopped us from breaking the door. It took almost 30 minutes before it could be opened," he told NDTV requesting anonymity.

He said after the door was opened, the security personnel didn't allow the nurse to check his pulses.

"We lost him, but the body was not brought down the entire night. It was taken down eight hours after the door was opened," he added.

IIT on student’s death

"The dean and chairperson of the hostel affairs board came and stopped the students from informing the student's family and tried to delete video evidence of the situation," alleged the student.

On its part, the IIT said it was “deeply saddened to report the loss of a student from our community. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the student's family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time".

"We encourage our student community to reach out to our support networks. IITG reaffirms its commitment to fostering a supportive and safe environment for all students," a spokesperson said.