Second suicide in a fortnight: IIT Kharagpur boy found hanging at hostel
Times of India | 5 May 2025
IIT Kharagpur
KHARAGPUR/KOLKATA: A 22-year-old IIT Kharagpur third-year civil engineering student was found hanging in his room in the Madan Mohan Malaviya (MMM) Hall on Sunday morning. Mohammad Asif Qamar, a resident of Bihar’s Sheohar district, had been on a video call with his friend in Delhi moments before his death.
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This is the second suicide at the institute in a fortnight.
Mohammad Asif Qamar
According to police, at 2.53am, IIT’s security officer received a call from this Delhi-based girl that Qamar had harmed himself. Around 3.30am, police from the Hijli outpost on the IIT campus broke the door and found Qamar’s hanging body.
Following back-to-back suicides in recent past, IIT Kharagpur has already announced a slew of measures. In the last case, on April 20, Aniket Walkar, a fourth-year student of the department of ocean engineering and naval architecture, was found hanging in his hostel room. There have been three suicides at IIT Kharagpur this year — all on Sundays.
Police, however, will issue statements on the reasons behind Qamar’s death only after the autopsy at Midnapore Medical College Hospital on Monday morning. His relatives arrived in Kharagpur on Sunday evening.
According to police, Qamar used to stay at the SDS block of the MMM Hall. His roommate was on leave. Qamar’s room had been locked since Saturday night.
After police found him hanging, they took him to BC Roy Hospital on the campus, where he was declared dead. A source said, “The girl reportedly told the IIT security officer that the student hanged in front of her. The security officer asked about her location, to which she reportedly said she was in Delhi and the student was at MMM Hall.”
A senior official said, "We have not found any history of mental health issues, medical treatment, or his visit to the IIT counselling centre." Sources said Qamar, who is a 2022 batch student, was improving his performance. He took multiple computer science (optional) courses. Sources said he had an exam malpractice case against him in early 2024, after which he was deregistered from that course (he had to do it again in the next semester).
The institute, in a statement, said, "It is with deep sadness that IIT Kharagpur condoles the untimely demise of Md Asif Qamar, a third-year undergraduate student in the Department of Civil Engineering, around 2:53am on May 4." The statement said, "A call came to the security emergency number from an external source that Md Asif Qamar committed self-harm. The security response team rushed immediately to the Pt MMM Hall of Residence (Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Hall) where the student was found dead in his room."
An investigation is currently underway by the police to determine the circumstances surrounding this tragic event. The institute is fully cooperating with the authorities, the statement added. "We are committed to providing them with unwavering support and assistance during this challenging time. We strongly encourage all students to take advantage of the 'well-being support services' available at the institute," an institute spokesperson added.