IIT Kharagpur Student Dies After Fall From Hostel Building, Police Initiate Probe

Kharagpur: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur was once again the site of a tragedy, following the death of a third-year mechanical engineering student on Saturday. The student, identified as 21-year-old Jaiveer Singh Dodia, a resident of Ahmedabad, reportedly died after falling from the 8th floor of a hostel building on the campus.

According to reports, Jaiveer was a resident of the Nehru Hall hostel, but his body was discovered in the early hours of Saturday morning by campus security personnel near the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hall. The security personnel immediately alerted the institute authorities and the local police after discovering the incident. A police team from the Hijli police station arrived at the scene and shifted the student to the BC Roy Hospital located within the campus, where he was pronounced dead by medical staff.

The local police have launched a formal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death. The investigators are currently reviewing CCTV footage to track the student's movements prior to the incident and are speaking with family members and peers to determine if there were any signs of distress. As of now, the police are still searching for a suicide note, and the body has been moved to the Medinipur Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Institute Pledges Cooperation

Meanwhile, in a statement regarding the incident, an official from IIT Kharagpur confirmed that the administration is cooperating in tandem with law enforcement. The official noted that the matter is under inquiry and that the institute is taking all necessary steps to support the police investigation. The incident has, meanwhile, stirred growing concerns regarding the safety and well-being of the student body at the prestigious institution.

The tragic incident is the latest in a concerning series of student deaths at the institute over the last year. In 2025 alone, multiple students lost their lives, including Shoaan Malik in January, Aniket Walker in April, and Mohammad Asif Qamar in May. The summer months saw the deaths of Ritam Mandal and Chandradeep Pawar in July, followed by Harsh Kumar Pandey in September.

The year concluded with the death of Bhattaram Sharan Kumar, whose body was found near the Puri railway gate in December. The recurring loss of life has placed a spotlight on the mental health challenges and pressures faced by students within high-stakes academic environments.

Further details regarding the incident are awaited.