A fourth-year IIT Kharagpur engineering student died by suicide in his hostel room, having sent a scheduled message to his family informing them of his death. The 22-year-old, identified as Soham Halder, was found hanging in his room at the Madan Mohan Malviya Hall of Residence.
Chilling Message to Family
Halder's scheduled message reached his family in Barasat at 10:45 am on Tuesday. The message read: "I am dying, my body will be in the room. I've left the security number. Call them to take my body from the room." His sister immediately alerted the IIT security officer, who found the door locked from inside and informed the police.
Police arrived around 11 am, broke open the door, and found Halder hanging. The entire recovery process was videographed. He was declared dead at BC Roy Hospital. Preliminary findings indicate suicide, and an autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.
Ninth Death in 15 Months
Halder is the ninth student to die on the Kharagpur campus in the past 15 months, and the second death within 10 days. On April 18, Jayveersinh Dodiya, a third-year engineering student, died after falling from the terrace of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hall of Residence.
No Warning Signs Detected
IIT director Suman Chakraborty stated that the institute received no signals from the department, student community, or parents. Halder's roommate also reported no signs of distress or behavioral changes. A committee will examine the incident and gather feedback on his academic progress.
Sources indicate that Halder reportedly had backlogs and did not register for any courses in the last two semesters. Dean of student well-being Arun Chakraborty noted that Halder gave an exam on Monday and spoke to his family. The institute is cooperating with authorities.
