An M.Tech student of IIT Kanpur was found dead in his hostel room on Wednesday, January 10 evening. The student was recently issued a termination notice by the institute. Police said they are investigating the death and prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide. Police said they have found a copy of a suicide note and are trying to verify it.
26-year-old Vikas Kumar Meena was a student of Aerospace Engineering department. He was a resident of Meerut.
After visiting the IIT campus and talking to faculty members and students, Kanpur Police Commissioner Akhil Kumar said in a statement, “The incident was reported on Wednesday evening… Prima facie, it appears to be a case of suicide, but we are investigating the matter. We will take the investigation forward after the post-mortem of the body. We have found a soft copy of a suicide note “I cannot confirm the authenticity of the note. Once we get its copy, we will be able to find out whether it was written by the deceased student.”
In the note, the student wrote that he had some academic problems. The student also wrote that he took this step himself and no one should be blamed for his suicide.
A police officer involved in the investigation said that Vikas was found hanging in the hostel room by his friends. “Vikas was found hanging in a hostel room, which was locked from inside. When his colleagues knocked on the door of the room and got no response, they informed the institute authorities. The lock of the room was broken and Vikas Found hanging.”
What did the student’s father say?
Meanwhile, speaking to media persons, Vikas’s father Anil Kumar Meena said that his son was depressed after receiving the dismissal notice from the institute recently and could not file an appeal against it in time.
Father said that, “I got a call at 10 pm on Wednesday night and was told about the suicide. There was some problem in the management of the institute and its documents. I spoke to my son and was told that there is some process of dismissal. He had said that if he had appealed against it, it could have been cancelled. We have not been given his mobile phone or suicide note. My son was a very friendly person.”
When asked whether the dismissal notice was the reason behind Vikas’s suicide. To this father Anil said, “Yes, what I understand is that when the email for termination was sent to him, he went home and could not submit the appeal in time. It seems that is why “He fell into depression. He would have been reinstated, but he couldn’t file the appeal in time.”
What did the administration of IIT-Kanpur say?
An official of the institute said that the dismissal notice is just a warning. “The dismissal can be challenged. This means it is a warning to the student to meet his teachers and resolve the problem. Vikas was also issued the same dismissal and could challenge it, and He could have got it cancelled, but he did not do so.
A statement issued by IIT-Kanpur said Vikas was “academically talented” and had taken admission in the MTech program in 2021. “A forensic team has taken stock of the case. The institute is awaiting further investigation by the police to determine the probable cause of death. In the demise of Vikas, the institute has lost a young and promising student.”
Kanpur Police Commissioner said that he also talked to the director of the institute. “The director of the institute is also upset by this incident. He is also investigating the facts to find out the reasons for the incident. Discussions are being held to take corrective steps.
