25-Year-Old PhD Scholar Dies By Suicide On IIT-Kanpur Campus; 2nd Such Incident In 3 Weeks

A 25-year-old PhD scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur died by suicide on Tuesday afternoon after allegedly jumping from the sixth floor of a residential building on the campus, police said. The incident marks the second such incident at the institute in three weeks.

The victim, identified as Ramswroop Ishram, was a research scholar in the Department of Earth Sciences. No suicide note was found at the scene.

Initial investigations suggest it was a suicide, with no signs of foul play, as there were several witnesses on campus at the time. Forensic experts were called in to collect evidence.

Soon after police received information about the incident, they rushed to the spot. Ishram was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed

to his injuries during treatment.

The 25-year-old, who lived in the New SBRA residential building with his wife and three-year-old daughter, had been suffering from depression. Authorities are investigating the circumstances leading to his death.

Originally from Churu district in Rajasthan, Ishram joined IIT Kanpur in July 2023 for his PhD. His wife, Manju, is three months pregnant.

His body was sent for a post-mortem, which is expected to take place on Wednesday. Ishram’s family in Rajasthan has been informed about the tragic incident.

Preliminary findings and accounts from friends indicate that Ishram had been battling schizophrenia, along with anxiety and depression for the past two years, receiving regular treatment and counselling from IIT Kanpur’s facilities. He had a physician’s referral to see a counsellor on Tuesday evening, but he died before the appointment.

On December 29, another student, Jai Singh Meena, was found hanging in his hostel room. A suicide note was recovered at that scene.

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