Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Oct 21: A 19-year-old second-year Chemical Engineering student at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, was found dead in his hostel room in Matunga, police said.
The student, identified as Siddhesh Patil, was a native of Nashik and resided at the ICT hostel. According to preliminary information, the incident occurred around 10.30 pm on Tuesday, when he allegedly died by suicide in his room.
Mumbai Police have registered an Accidental Death (AD) report and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to information gathered in connection with the case, Patil had reportedly been experiencing mental health difficulties over the past few days and was undergoing treatment.
On Tuesday, he reportedly sent a message to his doctor expressing emotional distress. The doctor promptly informed the student's family after receiving the message.
Following this, the family contacted Patil's friends at the hostel and asked them to reach his room immediately to check on him. However, the friends reportedly arrived after the incident had taken place.
Matunga Police are investigating the case and gathering information to establish the sequence of events. Further details are awaited as the investigation progresses.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the mental well-being of students pursuing higher education away from their families and the importance of accessible mental health support and timely intervention when students experience emotional distress.
In a separate incident in September, a second-year student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay died by suicide after reportedly being found using a mobile phone during an examination, triggering protests by students on the institute's Powai campus.
The incident marked the third reported suicide at the IIT-Bombay campus in six months.
The deceased was identified as Sahil Wakode, a second-year student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering. According to the institute, Wakode had uploaded an examination question paper to ChatGPT in an attempt to obtain answers while the test was underway.
IIT-Bombay clarified that no disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against him following the incident. The matter was discussed with the student by the examination instructor and the Head of the Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career, the institute said.