An 18-year-old first-year student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, allegedly died by suicide by jumping from the eighth floor of the hostel on Sunday afternoon.
The Powai police said the incident took place at around 1 pm after which police were informed and a case of accidental death was registered. A police officer said the student, Darshan Solanki, a native of Ahmedabad, had joined IIT Bombay three and a half months ago and was a BTech student.
“We have eye-witnesses who saw Solanki jump from the refuge area of the hostel building. We are recording statements of his roommates and are trying to ascertain the reason,” the officer said.
Stating that it was an unfortunate incident, an official from the administration said, “The institute is cooperating with the police investigation.”
Institute Director Subhasis Chaudhuri sent out a message to all students. “We regret to inform the loss of a first-year student in a tragic incident this afternoon. Powai police is investigating the case. The parents of the student have been informed and they are on their way. We deeply mourn the death of the student and pray that the family gets the strength to bear this loss. May his soul rest in peace,” read the message.
Late at night on Sunday, remembering “one of their own.” Some students from the campus participated in a candlelight march.
Solanki was a first-year BTech student in chemical engineering. He was from Ahmedabad and lived in Hostel 16. The first-year students’ end-of-semester exams were completed on Saturday. Many on-campus suspects that academic pressure is to blame. However, an official from the institute stated that speculation would be inappropriate until more details were released.
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