Promising IIT-Kharagpur Student Found Dead in Hostel Room

Kharagpur, West Bengal: In a heartbreaking incident, a 21-year-old IIT-Kharagpur student, Shaon Malik, was found hanging in his hostel room on Sunday. Malik, a third-year Electrical Engineering student known for his academic brilliance and extracurricular involvement, was discovered by his parents during their routine visit to his hostel.

The tragedy unfolded in the Azad Hall of Residence when Malik’s parents arrived with home-cooked food, as they often did. Unable to contact him despite repeated calls, they, along with security staff, forcibly opened his room, only to find him hanging from the iron grille of the window.

Malik, a nine-pointer student and a member of Druheen, the institute's Bengali dramatic society, had also recently received a prestigious project from his professors. The sudden loss has left the institution in shock.

“No suicide note was found, and his interactions with teachers and peers had been positive,” said IIT-Kharagpur Director Amit Patra, adding that the institute is conducting an internal probe and fully cooperating with the police investigation.

This tragic event is the latest in a series of deaths at IIT-Kharagpur in recent years, raising concerns over the mental health of students. Earlier incidents include the demise of a lab technician and multiple student suicides, with the most recent being in June 2024.

The police have conducted a videographed post-mortem, and the authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding Malik’s death. IIT-Kharagpur, in its statement, expressed deep grief, saying, “The students, staff, and faculty mourn the sudden loss of a bright young mind.”