Incident and police investigation

A 31-year-old MSc Physics student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi died on Saturday morning after allegedly jumping from the sixth floor of the Lecture Hall Complex on the campus, police said. The student, a native of Saran district in Bihar, entered the campus at around 8 am through the main gate, went to the Lecture Hall Complex, took a lift to the sixth floor, and jumped from the front side of the building, according to law-enforcement officials.

A PCR call was received at 8:33 am at the Kishangarh police station, and a police team shifted the injured student to the IIT Delhi campus hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Amit Goel confirmed the timing and said the student was declared dead on arrival. The Crime Team and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team were called for inspection and collection of evidence.

Police said no suicide note was recovered, and no apparent injury marks other than those attributable to the fall were found. A mobile phone was recovered from the student's trousers and will be examined as per due procedure. The counselling records and other relevant information from the institute are being obtained, and the facts are being verified, officials said. The student's identity has not been officially released, but according to reports he was originally from Bihar and had joined IIT Delhi in July 2025, staying in a campus hostel.

The incident was the second such death at IIT Delhi this year; in March, a 19-year-old first-year B.Tech student was found dead in his hostel room. It was also the third suicide in Delhi within 24 hours, according to a report.

Institutional response and inquiry

In response to the death and subsequent student protests, IIT Delhi constituted a five-member external inquiry committee on Tuesday to investigate the circumstances. The committee is to include former Uttarakhand DGP and IIT Delhi alumnus Ashok Kumar, who also serves as vice-chancellor of Haryana Sports University; Pratap Sharma, head of the psychiatry department at AIIMS New Delhi; two student representatives; and the IIT Delhi registrar, according to multiple reports. Sources differ on one member's details: some name Ashok Kumar, while others mention a former DGP. The committee has been given two weeks to submit its report, and will examine the functioning of the institute's administrative offices, speak to relevant students and faculty, review existing protocols, and recommend measures to strengthen student support systems. An institute official stated that the committee's mandate is to investigate the circumstances leading to the death.

Director Rangan Banerjee sent an email to all students on Tuesday informing them of the decision, and he had earlier responded to protesters' demands via a late-night email on Monday. The institute has also proposed appointing an external ombudsperson to address student grievances that remain unresolved via existing internal mechanisms. In addition, IIT Delhi plans to add a faculty-plus-student mentor system for students with mental-health issues who need parental supervision, and the institute is inviting students to come forward with suggestions and concerns.

The institute expressed deep mourning in an official statement and said it is providing all support to the family. It also stated that the Delhi Police are investigating the incident. The inquiry comes a day after students on campus held a protest, and on Tuesday, a group of students expressed anger by dressing in black. Classes were suspended on Monday due to the protests, according to the Times of India.

Family accusations and student protests

Abhishek, the deceased's brother, has levelled several accusations against the institute. He claimed that the family has not received a copy of the FIR, autopsy report, or CCTV footage of the fall. According to an article by ThePrint, students claim that IIT Delhi denied Kumar a research project as well as hostel accommodation, which they say were primary reasons behind his mental-health issues. Abhishek also alleged that the Dean of Social Welfare told their mother that there was "no provision to keep such children" in IIT. He said that the family's request to use the guest house or family quarters facility on campus, so that their mother could stay with her son, was refused.

Abhishek also alleged that an official at the Dean's office told their mother, "Can't you take care of your son?" He stated that professors offered little support and that some "constantly berated" his brother and refused to give him a partner in a paired project. According to him, his brother began questioning his self-worth after a withdrawal application was accepted. He recalled his brother saying, "For the next year, I won't get to do anything. My life is useless. I don't want to live anymore."

Hundreds of IIT Delhi students have been protesting with three demands: "Investigation, resignation, and compensation." They blame what they call "institutional apathy" and point out that since July 2023, eight students have died on campus. Students dressed in black on Tuesday to express their anger. On Sunday, the JNU students' union organized a protest outside IIT Delhi. Its president, Aditi, demanded implementation of the Rohit Act, saying students should not face pressure from the administration. The All India Students' Association issued a statement demanding an independent inquiry, full transparency on counseling infrastructure, and a review of supervisors' discretionary power.

The student's background and support

IIT Delhi has stated that the student was academically bright and received medical and counseling support after fellow students expressed concerns about his mental health following matters. According to the institute's account, the student was immediately referred to the IIT Delhi Hospital and was assessed and supported by the institute's psychiatrist. His family subsequently took him to a specialized hospital, where he underwent about a month of inpatient treatment. He latter requested withdrawal from the first semester, which was approved. His health records were reviewed again in July, and medical advice was given that he should continue under parental supervision. He also received counseling and support from the institute's counselor/doctor in July and August. His request to withdraw from the second semester was also approved. IIT Delhi emphasized that it has been consistently strengthening its mental-health support systems, including provide to empanelled counsellors and one full-time and two part-time psychatrists, with cost-reimbursed.

Perspectives

The death has sparked a debate about institutional versus individual blame. Student groups such as the JNU Students' Union and the All India Students' Association have spoken to the administration of failing to address systemic issues, pointing to a pattern of student deaths and calling for a probe, transparency, and legal reforms. In contrast, IIT Delhi, while mourning the death, has not entertained student demands for resignation, but has instead ordered the external committee to review systems and has emphasized its existing mental- support structure. The brother, meanwhile, emphasizes personal loss and a series of alleged denials and mistreatment, asking: "Is there no humanity in an institution like IIT Delhi?" These competing narratives – institutional self- corrective versus systemic criticism versus familial grief - remain unresolved as the inquiry begins.