The death of a 21-year-old student has sparked anger at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Guwahati, with his friends accusing the administration of being insensitive towards students and parents. A massive protest erupted on the campus last evening as they alleged grades have become more important than student lives at the institute. The student from Uttar Pradesh was found dead in his hostel room, the fourth such death at the prestigious institute this year. It is now being alleged that the students were stopped from breaking open the hostel room door when the body was first noticed.
Speaking to NDTV, a student claimed they were also stopped from informing the dead student’s family and an attempt to delete videos from their phones by the administration.
“I saw through the ventilator my friend was hanging from the fan. The guards stopped us from breaking the door. It took almost 30 minutes before it could be opened. Whether he was alive or not wasn’t their concern,” he said requesting anonymity.
He said that after the door was opened, the security personnel didn’t allow the nurse to check his pulses.
“We lost him, but the body was not brought down the entire night. It was taken down eight hours after the door was opened,” he added.
The student alleged the guards did nothing due to orders from the administration.
“The dean and chairperson of the Hostel Affairs Board came and stopped the students from informing the student’s family of the dead student and tried to delete video evidence of the situation,” said the student.
A response is awaited from the institute on this allegation.
The incident sparked a massive protest as the students questioned the effectiveness of the institute’s mental health and welfare support systems. The student’s body has been sent for post-mortem to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.
In a statement, an institute spokesperson said the IIT-G is deeply saddened by the student’s death and extended condolences to his family and friends.
“IITG remains dedicated to prioritising the mental health and well-being of our student community during these challenging times,” the spokesperson further added.
