Kolkata/Kharagpur: A fourth year mechanical engineering student of IIT-Kharagpur was found dead in his hostel room on Friday morning, three days after returning to the institute after two months of summer break.21 -year -old Ritam Mondal of Kolkata was chasing a five -year double degree program, and his classes began on Thursday.This is the fourth unnatural death in the institute in the last seven months.The police have started an investigation and the IIT has set up a five -member panel to investigate the incident.Police suspect that Ritam’s suicide died and initial interrogation suggests that he could be a quarrel with his family. However, an official statement will be released only after a dead body examination at Midnapur Medical College Hospital on Saturday. A district police officer said, “The exact cause of death will be known after the body examination.”A source said, “Ritam’s father, Uttam Mondal, after taking his call, approached a hostel employee to investigate his son. The employee found the student hanging.”The safety response of the institute and medical team, director, senior administrative officer and police officers arrived at the hostel. Ritam’s parents arrived in the afternoon.Another boarder said that Ritam had returned to his room after dinner on Thursday night and did not see any abnormalities in his behavior. He shared the hostel room with two other students, but he did not return to the institute after a summer break.A statement issued by IIT-Kharagpur stated that the institute’s Sarath was not an indicator of any mental health issue, according to the records of the counseling center. The faculty advisor of his department also claimed that there was no clear academic or non-academic issue of concern.Professor Suman Chakraborty, director of IIT-Kharagpur, said: “I have asked a fact-khoj panel to provide a concrete and detailed report on the incident after collecting information from the department, hostel, counseling center and hospital. The committee will also talk to the hostel employees and their friends.”
