Protest at IIT-Delhi over 31-year-old student’s suicide

New Delhi: Hundreds of students protested at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D) on Monday, demanding “institutional accountability” for the alleged suicide of a 31-year-old master’s student on Saturday

New Delhi: Hundreds of students protested at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D) on Monday, demanding “institutional accountability” for the alleged suicide of a 31-year-old master’s student on Saturday.

A police officer said a case under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the BNS was registered (Photo for representation)

Carrying placards that read “IIT-D: Dreams or Death,” protestors demanded the resignation of the dean and associate deans of the Students’ Welfare Office and the head of the physics department. They also called for an independent probe into alleged institutional lapses and ₹1 crore in compensation for the deceased student’s family.

“We demand an independent investigation into the lapses committed by the administration that made the student take his life, address issues like non-allocation of housing facility, denial of academic projects...clear disclosure of the institute’s mental health protocol regarding students seeking counselling. We also demand the resignation of the dean and associate deans (ADSW and ADHM) in the students affairs office and the head of the department, physics, and we demand the family of the student to be compensated adequately and compassionately with ₹1 crore,” the demand charter submitted by the protesting students dated August 24 stated.

The 31-year-old, pursuing an MSc in Physics, allegedly jumped to death from the sixth floor of the institute’s Lecture Hall Complex on campus Saturday morning. The IIT-Delhi administration confirmed the incident in a statement on August 22.

Queries sent by HT to IIT-Delhi remained unanswered.

Following hours-long campus unrest that began at 9am, afternoon classes for the remainder of the day were suspended. The protest continued till 5pm.

An email sent by the deputy registrar (academics) to students around 1pm stated, “Dear students and faculty members, the undersigned is directed to inform that due to unavoidable circumstances, all classes scheduled for today, 24 August, 2026, stand cancelled.”

Several students who spoke to HT on condition of anonymity said the 31-year-old student died by suicide under “unusual” circumstances, and alleged that the administration could not “sweep the matter under the rug.” They said that while the student’s individual circumstances may have played a role, the institution’s responsibility could not be brushed aside.

A 22-year-old master’s student, who participated in the protest, claimed: “He was previously staying in a hostel and, after developing a headache, was admitted to the IIT hospital, from where he was referred to a south Delhi-based private hospital. He was later discharged and deemed fit to stay in the hostel. However, despite making several requests, he was denied hostel accommodation. The administration repeatedly told him they couldn’t keep him due to his illness. He was also denied a major project.”

At least three students who participated in the demonstration told HT that an audio message from the deceased’s mother was played during the protest. In the message, she was allegedly heard saying that multiple requests for her son’s hostel reallocation had been denied, allegedly due to his mental health issues.

“I attended a class between 8-9am and then gathered at the lecture hall where the protest was happening,” said an undergraduate student who arrived from Bihar a month ago. She added: “The mother said their family had been seeking on-campus accommodation for the 31-year-old, who was the only child and had been under financial pressure following his father’s death last year. Many of us broke down in tears. It left us feeling even angrier with the administration.”

Another student alleged that during the protest, associate dean (student welfare) and a faculty member in the department of chemical engineering, made an insensitive remark about the victim that further angered the students and led to demands for her resignation.

In their charter of demands, the students also sought an assurance that no action would be taken against those who participated in the protest.