A 20-year-old student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay was found dead in his hostel room late on Tuesday after the institute's authorities were alerted by his parents, who were unable to contact him. The deceased has been identified as Sohail Rajkumar Sangwan, a native of Delhi and a second-year Material Science student. He was found hanging from a ceiling fan with the help of a bedsheet in his room on the fourth floor of IIT Bombay's Hostel No. 4.

A police team rushed to the campus after the Powai police were informed at around 11:45 pm. A police officer said, 

"A panchnama of the hostel room was conducted, and the body was sent for post-mortem."

 

Unanswered calls prompted hostel room check

The incident came to light after several calls to the IIT Bombay student went unanswered. His family then informed the institute's authorities. When a student and the hostel security officer went to check on him, they found him hanging in his room.

So far, police have recorded the statements of Sangwan's classmates and recovered a few handwritten notes containing romantic poetry. Although the notes suggest that he may have been dealing with unrequited love, officials said they are "yet to discover whether this love angle had any connection with his death."

Accidental Death Report (ADR) registered

The student's family is expected to arrive in Mumbai on Wednesday. Police have seized his mobile phone and laptop to examine his call records and WhatsApp chats in an attempt to determine what may have led to his death. According to a senior officer at the Powai police station, an Accidental Death Report (ADR) has been registered, and further investigation is underway.

In an email sent to all students, IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare expressed his condolences to the student's family and friends. He wrote, 

"There is an indication that he took his own life due to personal reasons. The police are conducting a thorough investigation."

 

He added that he was "deeply disturbed" that "this unfortunate incident has happened despite strengthening the wellness support system and proactively supporting students through multiple workshops and interactions with alumni and faculty."

IIT Bombay Director calls for stronger student support

The director also acknowledged that more needs to be done to support students dealing with personal issues.

"We have all been making efforts to connect with students by being sensitive and vigilant, including wardens, faculty advisers, course instructors, hall managers, and staff. But it is clear that we need to do much more," he wrote in the email.

 

He also appealed to everyone to work together to address the situation and support students "in an effective manner."

"A 20-year-old student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay was found dead in his hostel room late on Tuesday after the institu…"