‘Focused and good in studies’: IIT student from Regent Park found hanging in hostel
Telegraph | 19 July 2025
The boy who was found hanging in the IIT Kharagpur hostel on Friday had scored 97.2 per cent in his ISC exams and was pursuing a dual degree programme. He would have graduated with an MTech after a five-year course.
Ritam Mondal, 21, was in the fourth year of the mechanical engineering department at IIT Kharagpur.
Police suspect it is a suicide, though the possible reason behind the extreme step is not known yet.
The institute had just opened after the summer vacation.
Ritam, who is from Regent Park in Calcutta, returned to the campus two days ago.
Neither college officials nor friends could recall any pressure that Ritam could be suffering from.
“As per the records reviewed from the Institute’s SARTH Counselling Centre, there were no prior indicators of mental health concerns. The faculty advisor from the department also mentioned that there were no apparent academic and non-academic issues that caught their attention,” IIT stated in a note on Friday.
A friend, who requested anonymity, said Ritam was very focused on his studies. “He used to be engaged with learning various types of programming languages even when he was not going through his course books,” the friend said.
Ritam had scored 98.2 per cent in his ICSE exam.
IIT Kharagpur director Suman Chakraborty, a mechanical engineering professor, said: “I didn’t teach their class, but his CGPA suggests he has been reasonably good in studies.”
Sources said Ritam’s father could not reach him over the phone when he contacted the institute and was later informed about his son’s death.
“The entire IIT Kharagpur community is deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic loss. Mr Mondal was known for his academic diligence and gentle demeanour. The Institute expresses its heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family and friends, and stands committed to supporting them during this difficult time,” an official statement from the institute said.