Malik’s death came to light after his parents came to meet him at the hostel on Sunday morning. After finding his room locked from inside and no response from him despite repeated calls, his parents forcefully entered the room and found him hanging, said a police officer.
“The body of the student has been recovered from the hostel (Azad Hall). We are looking into all the aspects of the incident,” Superintendent of Police (Paschim Medinipur) Dhritiman Sarkar said after visiting the hostel.
Police said that the postmortem and magistrate inquest have been completed, and the postmortem was videographed and done in the presence of the student’s parents.
“Prima facie, there seems to be no external injury. However, it is too early to indicate something. An unnatural death case has been registered on the basis of a complaint submitted by his family. The crime scene has been examined and sniffer dogs were brought,” said a police officer involved in the probe.
“Malik last spoke to his mother on Saturday. We have taken his laptop, mobile among other things,” the officer said, adding that the parents visited the son every Sunday.
Sources said that the police team also took a sample of the last meal Malik had on Saturday night.
In a statement, IIT-Kharagpur said Malik was an academically gifted student with CGPA above 9. “With a sense of utter shock, the students, staff and faculty members of IIT-Kharagpur deeply mourn the sudden loss of Shaon Malik, a third-year student from the Department of Electrical Engineering… Known for his intelligence, dedication, and promising future in the field of electrical engineering, Malik was also an active member of Druheen — Bengali Technology Dramatics Society at IIT-Kharagpur.”
“The institute is fully cooperating with the authorities. The institute is devastated by this tragic event. Our foremost priority at this moment is to extend our heartfelt condolences and support to Malik’s family and friends. We are providing all necessary assistance to help them through this incredibly difficult time,” the institute said.
“IIT-Kharagpur is committed to the well-being and mental health of its students. We have a range of support services available, including counseling and mental health resources, and we urge students to utilise these services whenever needed,” it added.
On Friday, Sakir Ali Mollah, a junior technician of the chemistry department was found hanging at the staff quarters on the campus. In June last year, a student from Kerala, Devika Pillai, was found hanging on the campus.