First-year IIT-Delhi student dies by suicide on campus; no note found

NEW DELHI: A first-year BTech student of IIT-Delhi is suspected to have died by suicide on the campus on Thursday. According to police, preliminary investigation suggests depression may have led to the incident. No suicide note was recovered from the spot.

Cops at Kishangarh police station received information about the incident around 8.35am Thursday. On reaching the spot, they discovered the body of the student in his room at New Vindhyachal Apartments on the campus. A doctor at IIT-Delhi Hospital examined him and declared him brought dead.

Preliminary inquiry revealed the student, aged 19, resided in the apartment with his mother, who had gone to her native place in Rajasthan on March 10. She last spoke with him over the phone on March 11, around 11pm. The following morning, when he did not respond to her calls, another resident opened the room with the help of security staff and discovered the youth had taken the extreme step.

Crime and FSL teams inspected the scene. The student's father, whose statement was recorded by police, expressed no suspicion of foul play. The body was sent to Safdarjung Hospital for a post-mortem examination and later handed over to the family.

Following the incident, the security officer of IIT-Delhi, citing a Supreme Court judgment from Ma-rch 24, 2025, submitted a written complaint requesting registration of an FIR and a detailed investigation. A case under Section 108 BNS (abetment of suicide) was registered against unknown persons.

In a statement, IIT-Delhi expressed "deep sorrow over the tragic and untimely demise" of the student and stated Delhi Police are investigating the incident. "In this hour of grief, the institute stands with the bereaved family and is providing them all support," it added.

In 2024, a 21-year-old IIT student had died by suicide in his hostel room. A preliminary inquiry revealed the student underwent psychiatric treatment. In 2023, another student, aged 21 and pursuing BTech in mathematics and computing at the institute, had died by suicide.