PhD Student Found Dead at IIT-Kharagpur, Fifth Death Reported This Year

A PhD student was discovered dead in his hostel room at IIT-Kharagpur on Saturday. This marks the fifth suspected suicide case at the institution this year. Authorities reported that Harshkumar Pandey, 27, a resident of Ranchi, was found deceased in his room at the BR Ambedkar Hall around 2 PM. He was pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. According to an IIT-Kharagpur spokesperson, the student's parents were unable to reach him by phone, and the door to his room was locked from the inside, prompting them to alert the police. The police broke down the door and found his body hanging from the ceiling.