Kharagpur IIT has once again been shrouded in controversy after a 21-year-old student of biotechnology (3rd year) was found hanging from the roof of her hostel campus on Monday morning.
The deceased, identified as Devika Pillai, was from Kerala and was a student of the department of bioscience and biotechnology. Devika, highly regarded as an academically brilliant student by her teachers and peers alike, had returned from her hometown Evoor in Alappuzhu, Kerala, just a few days prior.
The body was found by students in the area between Sarojini Naidu Hall and Indira Gandhi Hall of IIT Kharagpur sometime around 8–9:30 am, following which IIT authorities informed emergency medical examiners and district police officials.
IIT-Kharagpur said in a statement, “District police authorities have been informed. Her family has also been informed immediately. The police are conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death. The institute is fully cooperating with the authorities.”
Authorities added, “Devika was an academically gifted student (CGPA 8.37), known for her intelligence, dedication, and promising future in the field of biosciences and biotechnology. She was currently pursuing a summer internship under a professor in charge of the department of bioscience and biotechnology. The institute is devastated by this tragic event.”
The 21-year-old’s death indicator of institutional bullying and coverup trends
The unexpected incident on Monday has once again thrown IIT Kharagpur into the spotlight, with many academic experts and former faculty members of the institution alleging that the IIT has a trend of covering up incidents like this so as to not harm the reputation of the institution.
The IIT had also made headlines two years ago, on October 14, 2022, when the decomposing body of Faizan Ahemed, a third-year mechanical engineering student from Assam, was discovered on campus. Although the IIT authorities had initially ruled out foul play, however a second autopsy conducted on the orders of the Calcutta High Court last month determined that the student was stabbed and shot multiple times, leading to his death.
The discrepancies in the second autopsy report are indicative of a dangerous trend of coverup within the IIT that often leads to falsified post-mortem reports and other official records that effectively rule out foul play and free the institution from all charges.
One of the most reputed educational institutions in India, the Kharagpur IIT, on the one hand, has gifted numerous academics, authors, and researchers to the world, while on the other hand, the deaths of students under mysterious circumstances highlight a dark confluence of “big money and power,” without which falsification of official records is an impossible task.
The numerous “unnatural” deaths on campus have sparked significant concerns about the institute’s safety and security.#studentlife@IITKgp @rbinducpm
Courtesy: The Hindu pic.twitter.com/8zpyIhU7Qo— Lenin Ravi (@leninravi) June 18, 2024
With the death of Devika Pillai, IIT Kharagpur has once again proven that they are incapable, if not unwilling, to make meaningful changes in the internal functions of the institution to effectively put the mental health of the students ahead of anything else.
Death of IITian Sparks Outrage over Declining Mental Health of Students
Devika Pillai’s death on Monday has sparked massive outrage among parents about the unsafe environment at the IIT. The repetition of such appalling incidents time and again has raised serious safety concerns among students and guardians.
Previously on October 19, 2023, a fourth-year student in the Electrical Engineering department was also found dead on campus. The deceased, identified as Kiran Chandra, had allegedly committed suicide in his hostel room in Kharagpur IIT. A detailed police investigation determined that the student was suffering from depression.
Given the repetition of such unfortunate incidents, it can be said for certain that depression, foul play, and deteriorating mental health will continue to plague Kharagpur IIT’s ranks unless meaningful changes are introduced by IIT authorities to safeguard the mental health of India’s most brilliant minds.
