In a shocking incident, a final-year student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur was found dead in his hostel room on Wednesday morning, days after he was last seen by his classmates. The student, identified as 22-year-old Dheeraj from Mahendragarh in Haryana, was pursuing a degree in electrical engineering, reported by The Times of India.
According to reports, his peers had not seen him since Sunday night. On Wednesday, students from a nearby room complained of a foul smell, prompting hostel authorities and security staff to check his room. When he did not respond, the police were called. The door was broken open, and his body was discovered inside.
Officials said that Dheeraj had told his family about his plan to visit home during the December holidays and had also spoken about securing a job in March. Just days before his death, he had responded to his sister’s call saying he was busy with studies and would call her back in a day or two.
Police Suspect Depression; Investigation Underway
Police are suspecting that depression may have led him to take his own life, though no suicide note was recovered from the room. His mobile phone, laptop, and personal belongings have been seized for further investigation. A senior official stated that only a detailed probe would reveal the exact circumstances.
DCP Dinesh Tripathi told The Times of India that the student’s family had been informed. “After their arrival, it will be known who he last spoke to and whether there was any problem. The IIT administration has only given information about the incident. We are in the process of obtaining more details from them,” he said.
In an official statement, reported by HT, IIT Kanpur expressed grief over the loss. The institute described Dheeraj as a promising student and a member of the athletic team. The statement added that the reasons for the tragic incident remain unclear and confirmed that the administration is fully cooperating with the police investigation.
Authorities said the final cause of death would be confirmed once the report is available after the investigation.
