Family Demands Probe After IIT Delhi MSc Physics Student Dies by Suicide

The family of 31-year-old IIT Delhi MSc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar has demanded a detailed inquiry and accountability following his death by suicide, alleging that he was deeply distressed by interactions with the institute's administration.

According to his brother, Abhishek Kumar, the family noticed a sharp deterioration in Rishikesh's mental state in the week leading up to his death. Rishikesh had withdrawn from everyday activities, stopped using his phone and laptop, and repeatedly expressed feelings of failure and suicidal thoughts to his mother.

The family was residing in a rented two-room apartment near the institute after Rishikesh was reportedly not allotted hostel accommodation on campus. Abhishek said that on the night before his death, the family spoke with him at length and planned to take him to a doctor for further counselling and treatment. However, Rishikesh left the residence the following morning while his mother was asleep and went to the IIT Delhi campus.

Abhishek also alleged that the family was informed of the death by an officer from the Kishangarh police station rather than representatives from IIT Delhi. He stated that no one from the institute visited or contacted the family following the incident.

The student's death prompted protests across the IIT Delhi campus, where hundreds of students gathered to demand an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death.

Following the demonstrations, IIT Delhi constituted a five-member External Inquiry Committee to examine the incident. According to institute sources, the panel includes former Uttarakhand Director General of Police and IIT Delhi alumnus Ashok Kumar, alongside Prof Pratap Sharma, head of the Department of Psychiatry at AIIMS New Delhi.

The committee is expected to review the family's allegations regarding Rishikesh's mental state, his accommodation circumstances, and his interactions with the administration.