A massive protest erupted on last night after a student of IIT Guwahati, found dead in his hostel room on September 9 morning, at Brahmaputra Hostel. The deceased, 21 years old student Bimlesh Kumar was from Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, and a third year B.Tech Computer student.
The death student friends accusing the administration of being insensitive to both students and their families. A large protest broke out on campus last evening, demanding of justice and mental health support for the student community.
According to reports, over 1,000 students protested on campus, claiming that Bimlesh Kumar was driven to his death after being marked as FA (failed due to poor attendance) despite having a medical reason for missing classes.
“About 60 students have been given FA (failed due to poor attendance). We’re protesting to make the administration understand how their decisions affect students,” said a third-year student.
In NDTV as student alleging that the student were stopped to open the door when they first noticed the body.
A student said requesting anonymity, “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 also added, “We lost him, but the body was not brought down the entire night. It was taken down eight hours after the door was opened.”
The student also stated, “The dean and chairperson of the Hostel Affairs Board came and stopped the students from informing the student’s family who died also tried to delete the video evidence of the situation.”
Police went to the scene, recovered body and sent it to post-mortem at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. Further investigation is going to find the reason behind the step.
The dean of the students welfare met with the protest student and assured them that institution prioritizes the physical and mental well-being of all students.
A spokesperson of IIT Guwahati said that, ““IITG is deeply saddened by the loss of one of our students. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased during this difficult time.”
He also added, “We encourage students to make use of the support systems in place. IITG is dedicated to fostering a safe and supportive environment for everyone on campus.”
This is the third such case of that took place in Guwahati IIT. The seconds incident took place on August 9, where an M.Tech student name Saumya, from Uttar Pradesh was found dead in her room in Disand hostel.
