PhD Student Found Dead; 4th Suicide Case In IIT Kanpur In One Year
A 28-year-old PhD student was found dead at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) on Thursday. This is the fourth case in the last one year, the police said.
Pragati Kharya is a resident of Sanigawan in Kanpur who was pursuing PhD in Earth Science. She was found hanging from the ceiling hook in her hostel room D-116 in hall number 4 during the intervening night.
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The IIT student’s hostel mates informed the college authorities who then alerted the police. The police officials have said that the rope she had used to commit suicide was ordered online. “The packet in which the rope was delivered was found in a corner of the room. The police have taken it into custody,” he said.
Her friends noticed her absence when she didn’t arrive for the Thursday morning class.
In a statement, IIT-K said with profound grief it mourns the tragic and untimely demise of Kharya. She enrolled in the PhD programme in December 2021.
“A police forensic team has visited the campus to investigate the circumstances of the death. The Institute is awaiting the results of the police investigation to determine the cause. With Pragati Kharya’s passing, the institute has lost a promising young researcher. The institute extends its deepest condolences and prays for strength and comfort to her family and friends in this time of great loss,” the IIT said.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police said that a suicide note was found in which she did not blame anyone for her drastic decision.
A mobile phone was also retrieved from the hostel room which may assist the police in unravelling the mystery surrounding the suicide.
ACP further also added that the possible motives for the suicide will only become clear after an initial investigation and the completion of other formalities.
The family members of the deceased arrived at IIT Kanpur and the body was sent for post-mortem, the police said.
On January 18, a 29-year-old, Priyanka Jaiswal chemical engineering PhD student had allegedly committed suicide in her room.
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Later in January too, a 31-year-old, Vikas Kumar Meena, hanged herself from a ceiling fan after he was ‘temporarily’ denied to continue the course.
On December 19, postdoctoral researcher Pallavi Chilka (34) hanged herself from the ceiling fan of her second-floor hostel room on the campus.
(This news story may contain content related to suicide and suicidal behaviour. Such topics can be sensitive and may trigger emotional responses. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or behaviours, we urge you to seek help immediately. Contact your local mental health crisis hotline, a mental health professional, or a trusted person in your life.
You may call 14416 or 1-8008914416 for the Tele MANAS service, a comprehensive mental health care service by the Government of India.)
