Following the death of a 32-year-old PhD research scholar allegedly by suicide at IIT-Madras on March 31, the victim’s elder brother has written to the institute, blaming his PhD supervisor for the death.
The student, a PhD research scholar at the mechanical engineering department, was living outside the campus in Velachery in Chennai. According to alumni, the student’s WhatsApp status before his death said, “I’m sorry, I’m not good enough”.
This was the third such case in IIT-Madras or IIT-M since February.
In an email to IIT-M’s director V Kamakoti and other faculty, the brother said, “I have a complaint to give to you regarding the death of my brother that happened on March 31, 2023, and demanded action against those responsible.”
The brother attached a six-page letter handwritten in Hindi where he said that the victim had been on medication for mental health issues, which the supervisor knew and “worsened by adding pressure on him”.
“He had had a meeting with his supervisor on March 31 morning, came back home and put up the Whatsapp status “I’m not good enough” before killing himself,” he said in the letter.
{{/usCountry}}“He had had a meeting with his supervisor on March 31 morning, came back home and put up the Whatsapp status “I’m not good enough” before killing himself,” he said in the letter.
{{/usCountry}}“He had informed us that his degree will be delayed because the guide was making him do more work,” he added said.
The victim was meant to complete his PhD thesis in three months.
The brother also said that the victim’s access to the lab was restricted. On the day of death, IIT-M said the victim was a student with an “exemplary academic and research record” and this was “a big loss to the research community.”
The PhD supervisor Ashish Kumar Sen did not respond to HT’s call and messages.
Earlier on March 14, a 20-year-old student died by suicide inside a hostel in IIT-M. On February 14, a post-graduate student died by suicide, and another student attempted to kill himself by consuming pills but was rescued.
Following this, the students launched an overnight protest against the management. They placed a list of demands and actions with IIT-M director V Kamokoti, including an external expert committee to study the mental health of IIT-M students, addressing the professor-student relationship for research scholars, and increasing facilities at the institute’s medical centre.
The IIT-Madras director had said that financial stress, personal reasons, academic pressure and health issues “are key reasons behind suicides on the campus”.