A fourth-year student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur was found dead in his hostel room on Sunday, April 20.

Aniket Walkar, 22, who hailed from Gondia in Maharashtra, was discovered hanging in his room at the Jagadish Chandra Bose Hostel, a tragic incident that has shocked the campus community.

Police officials from the Kharagpur Town Police Station have initiated an investigation, labelling the death as an apparent suicide.

While the initial investigation points towards an unnatural cause, authorities are awaiting the post-mortem report to confirm the exact cause of death.

Multiple reports claimed that Walkar's body was found by his classmates, who immediately alerted campus security and the police.

Walkar was pursuing his degree in Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture.

This incident marks the second suicide on the IIT Kharagpur campus in just a few months, following the death of 21-year-old Sawan Malik in January.

Previous deaths were reported in in October 2023 and June 2024.

This trend has sparked renewed concerns over student mental health at the institution, with campus authorities encouraging students to seek counselling and support.

“We mourn the loss of our beloved student and urge anyone in need of support to approach the counselling services available,” an official email from the institute reportedly said.