Daijiworld Media Network - Ranchi
Ranchi, Oct 11: The death of a first-year BTech student at the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Ranchi has triggered widespread protests on the campus, with students alleging administrative lapses and delays in emergency medical assistance.
The protesting students created a major commotion at the institute’s hostel in Khelgaon, prompting the administration to call the police to bring the situation under control.
The agitated students demanded improvements in hostel facilities and the resignation of institute director Rajiv Srivastava. They also blocked the Khelgaon-Tatisilwai road, leading to long queues of vehicles on both sides. Police personnel and institute officials made efforts to pacify the protesters.
The deceased student was identified as Aditya, a resident of Naugachia in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district. He was found hanging in his hostel room on Saturday night and was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Following the incident, students alleged that the hostel lacked basic amenities and that timely medical assistance was not available during emergencies. Blaming the director for the alleged mismanagement of hostel facilities, they demanded his resignation.
Director Rajiv Srivastava attempted to address the students amid the protests, but his efforts reportedly intensified their anger.
Speaking to the press about the student’s death, Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Ranjan said a preliminary investigation was underway.
“A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team has collected evidence from the scene, and the student's roommate has also given a statement,” he said, adding that all possible causes of the death were being investigated.
The institute director said Aditya had enrolled in the first year in August and was appearing for his mid-semester examinations.
According to Srivastava, the power supply went out during the night, after which the student allegedly locked his room from the inside. His classmates later opened the door and brought him out.
The director said the student was taken to the hospital in an ambulance available on the campus, but doctors declared him dead. He added that the institute would review the need for corrective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognisance of the incident and ordered an investigation into alleged administrative negligence.
NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo said on social media that the Commission was taking cognisance of the student’s death. He called for a probe into the alleged delay in medical treatment, possible administrative negligence and the circumstances surrounding the incident.