IIIT Ranchi student found dead in hostel; students protest, NHRC member flags medical care concerns

A first-year student at the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Ranchi, was allegedly found dead by suicide in his hostel room on Saturday night, prompting a police investigation and a campus agitation over medical facilities and counselling support.

Ranchi (Sadar) deputy superintendent of police Sanjeev Besra confirmed the incident on Sunday, saying the student was from Bihar and that investigators were examining the circumstances surrounding his death.

“Probe is on to ascertain the reason. The deceased was a first-year student from Bihar. Preliminary investigation suggests examination pressure, with exams having started on October 8. The body has been sent for autopsy,” Besra said.

Police said the incident came to light on Saturday night after hostel residents alerted the institute administration because the student’s room was locked from the inside. The administration subsequently informed the police.

Police examine examination stress and other factors

The student’s body was taken to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi for a post-mortem examination. Police sealed the hostel room, while a forensic team seized the student’s mobile phone and other articles for examination.

Investigators are recording statements from fellow students to determine whether examination-related stress or another factor may have contributed to the death.

“Statements from some students are being recorded to ascertain whether it was examination stress or something else,” police said.

The student’s family has been informed and was expected to reach Ranchi by Sunday night, according to the police. The investigation is continuing.

Students demand better medical and counselling facilities

The incident triggered an agitation on the institute’s campus, with students demanding improved counselling support during examinations and better medical facilities.

Besra said the students had raised concerns about the medical arrangements available on campus and alleged that the outcome might have been different if adequate treatment had been accessible.

“Students have demanded improvements in medical facilities. They are agitating. According to them, if there had been proper medical facilities on campus, he could have been saved,” he said.

The concerns over access to medical care are also being examined amid questions about whether treatment was delayed. No conclusion has yet been established regarding the circumstances of the student’s death or the allegations raised by students.

NHRC member says commission will take cognisance

The incident has also drawn the attention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Priyank Kanoongo, a former chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and a current NHRC member, said the commission was taking cognisance of the student’s death.

“We are taking cognisance of the untimely death of a first-year student at IIIT in Ranchi,” Kanoongo said in a social media post.

He said the commission would examine the alleged delay in providing medical treatment, possible administrative negligence and the circumstances surrounding the alleged suicide.

“We are going to give necessary directions to the Education Ministry as well as law enforcement authorities and investigation agencies,” he said.

The police investigation and the commission’s proposed examination are expected to look into the circumstances of the death, including the concerns raised about campus medical facilities and the institute’s response.