IIT Delhi PhD scholar dies 46 days after suspected suicide attempt; third such incident this year

An Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi student died on Saturday at the AIIMS Trauma Centre in New Delhi

An Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi student died on Saturday at the AIIMS Trauma Centre in New Delhi, 46 days after he was found unconscious and injured after allegedly trying to die by suicide at his accommodation, police officials aware of the matter said on Sunday. This is the third such death of an IIT Delhi student this year.

This is the third such death of an IIT Delhi student this year (HT Archive)

The student was a PhD scholar at the department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology and was residing at a rented accommodation in south Delhi’s Munirka Village.

According to a statement by the southwest district police, the student was found unconscious and in an injured condition at the accommodation on August 18. He was subsequently admitted to AIIMS and remained under treatment for more than 45 days.

A case had been registered on Sunday under section 108 (abetment of suicide) at the Kishangarh police station on Sunday. “The door of the house was also locked from inside, and the same was broken open by neighbours. An FIR has been registered pursuant to the directions of the Supreme Court, and on the basis of a complaint received from the Security Officer, IIT Delhi,” the statement said.

“During the proceedings, no suspicion or allegation was raised against any person by the family or witnesses as the injured was alone in the house, which is also evident from the CCTV footage of the camera installed outside the house,” the statement said.

This comes even as a five-member committee is currently investigating the circumstances that led to the suicide of a 31-year-old pursuing an MSc in Physics on August 22. The student jumped off the sixth floor of the Lecture Hall Complex (LHC) at the IIT Delhi campus. His death kicked off days of protests at the institute with students seeking an independent probe into alleged institutional lapses that led to the death.

In March 2026, a 19-year-old first-year B.Tech student allegedly died by suicide in his room at the campus.

Confirming the death of the student, the dean of student affairs (department of Biochemical engineering and biotechnology) in an email on Sunday said that a condolence meeting will be held on Monday.

The student was admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre on August 18, 2026, for medical treatment and had been receiving care in the ICU since then, said the email, seen by HT. “As per the protocol, the police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his untimely demise,” the dean added.

This is the ninth suicide reported at the institute in a span of 30 months. In August, the practices at the university had come under scanner after the death of the MSc student.

Protesting students alleged institutional and administrative apathy, severe academic pressure, harassment, denial of hostel accommodation (forcing off-campus financial distress), and a lack of proper mental health support systems.

The panel probing the MSc student has still to submit its report, with the deadline for submission having been pushed back to October 10.