IIT Kharagpur student found dead in hostel room; police suspect suicide

A fourth-year student at IIT Kharagpur has died by suicide, police sources told Mint on April 21,Monday. The deceased has been identified as 22-year-old Aniket Walkar, and his body was found hanging in his hostel room on Sunday night, they said.

Police from the Kharagpur Town Police Station found the body of the student hanging in his room at the Jagadish Chandra Bose Hostel of IIT Kharagpur on Sunday, April 20.

“Primarily, it seems to be a case of unnatural death. The deceased has died by suicide. But we are waiting for the post-mortem report to confirm,” a senior police official from Paschim Medinipur district told Mint, requesting anonymity. IIT Kharagpur comes under Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal.

The institute also informed about the incident in an official email. “We mourn the loss of our beloved student and urge anyone in need of support to approach the counselling services available,” an email from the institute read, according to reports.

Who is Aniket Walker?

According to police, the deceased, Aniket Walkar, was a fourth-year student from the Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture department at IIT Kharagpur. A resident of Gondia district in Maharashtra, Aniket was staying in Room C-214 of the Jagadish Chandra Bose Hall.

His body was found hanging in his hostel room and later sent to the Kharagpur Subdistrict Hospital for further procedures.

Police have registered a case of unnatural death in connection with the incident. Sources informed Mint that Aniket was found by his classmates, who then informed the campus security.

This is the second such case on the IIT Kharagpur campus this year.

Earlier on January 12, the body of Sawan Malik (21), a third-year electrical engineering student from Khukurdaha, Paschim Medinipur, was also found hanging in his hostel room at IIT Kharagpur.

Mental Health Helplines (India)

iCall – TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences)

022-25521111 (Mon–Sat, 10 AM – 8 PM)

Email: icall@tiss.edu

Offers free, confidential mental health support by trained counselors.

2AASRA (Mumbai-based NGO)

+91-9820466726 (24/7)

For suicide prevention and mental health crisis intervention.