Police Register FIR in IIT Delhi Student Death Case
Delhi Police have registered a case of abetment to suicide against unidentified persons following the death of a 31-year-old MSc Physics student at IIT Delhi. The development comes as student protests over the incident continue on the institute’s campus.
The student, Rishikesh Kumar, died on August 22 after allegedly falling from the sixth floor of the Lecture Hall Complex on the IIT Delhi campus. Police have said that the circumstances leading to his death and the possible role of others are being investigated.
Students Demand Independent Investigation
The death has triggered sustained protests by IIT Delhi students, who have demanded a transparent and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Students have also raised broader concerns about institutional accountability, student welfare and the mechanisms available to students facing academic or personal difficulties. The protests have entered their fourth day.
Police Examine Evidence and Counselling Records
According to the police, a crime team and forensic science laboratory personnel visited the campus after the incident to collect evidence.
Police said no suicide note was recovered from the spot. A mobile phone found with the student has been seized and is being examined. Investigators are also obtaining his counselling records and other relevant information from the institute.
The FIR against unidentified persons does not by itself establish culpability; the investigation is ongoing.
IIT Delhi Reconstitutes External Inquiry Panel
Amid mounting student pressure, IIT Delhi has reconstituted its external inquiry committee. The new panel is headed by Justice Mukta Gupta, a retired Delhi High Court judge, and includes Prof Pratap Sharan, head of the Department of Psychiatry at AIIMS, along with two student representatives whose names are yet to be finalised. The IIT Delhi Registrar will serve as secretary and convenor.
The move follows controversy over the earlier panel, after its proposed chairperson recused himself citing prior commitments.
Student Protests Put Mental Health Support Under Spotlight
The continuing protests have brought renewed attention to mental health and student support systems at IIT Delhi.
Students have questioned whether existing institutional mechanisms are sufficiently responsive to students facing distress. They have called for greater accountability and stronger systems for addressing grievances and welfare concerns.
These allegations remain part of the students’ demands and the ongoing inquiry, rather than established findings against the institute.
IIT Delhi Announces Further Measures
The institute has moved towards strengthening its response to student concerns following the protests. An external inquiry is now being conducted, while discussions around student welfare and grievance mechanisms have gained greater importance.
The institute had earlier expressed grief over the student’s death and said it was extending support to his family while cooperating with the police investigation.
Investigation and Protests Continue
The IIT Delhi case now involves two parallel processes: the police investigation into the abetment-to-suicide FIR and the institute’s external inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
With protests continuing on campus, students are awaiting greater clarity from both the authorities and the institute. The findings of the investigations will be important in determining what led to the student’s death and whether any institutional or individual accountability arises from the case.