IIT Kharagpur Suicide
FSL Kolkata inspects J.C. Bose Hall room in Aniket Walkar death
Executive summary
A forensic team from the Kolkata Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) entered a sealed hostel room at IIT Kharagpur on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 (IST) to examine the death scene of Aniket Walkar, a 22-year-old final-year student of Ocean Engineering & Naval Architecture who was found hanging on April 20, 2025 in Room C214, Acharya Jagadish Chandra (J.C.) Bose Hall. Investigators documented the scene, collected samples, and seized a mobile phone and laptop in the presence of institute officials, hall authorities, security, the investigating officer, and Aniket’s brother Sudip. (Source: Times of India)
Event timeline (IST)
- Sun, Apr 20, 2025 (evening) — Aniket Walkar is found hanging in his J.C. Bose Hall room at IIT Kharagpur; police open an “unnatural death” probe. The room is sealed following initial procedures. (Sources: Telegraph India, Telegraph India)
- Mon, Apr 21–Tue, Apr 22, 2025 — Local and national outlets identify the deceased as Aniket Walkar (22), from Gondia, Maharashtra; institute says he “passed away in his room… in the evening of April 20.” (Sources: Telegraph India, Telegraph India)
- Sun, Apr 27, 2025 — Aniket’s brother Sudeep/Sudip Walkar formally writes to Kharagpur Town Police seeking a fair and comprehensive probe into “mysterious circumstances” of death. (Source: Bengal Info)
- May–Jul 2025 — Amid multiple student fatalities on campus, IIT-Kharagpur constitutes an external expert committee on mental-health and safety; family letters (including Walkar’s) are noted as triggers. (Sources: Times of India, Times of India)
- Fri, Jul 18–Mon, Jul 22, 2025 — Subsequent student deaths intensify scrutiny; media list Aniket’s April 20 death among cases fueling calls for reforms. (Sources: Gulf News, Telegraph India)
- Tue, Sep 2, 2025 (around 11:30 AM) — FSL Kolkata team enters sealed Room C214, conducts scene re-examination and evidence collection; phone and laptop seized. (Source: Times of India)
Note on dates: Today is Sep 3, 2025 (IST). The FSL visit reported “Tuesday” refers to Sep 2, 2025. (Source: Times of India)
Forensic scene actions & evidence (as Reported)
- Scene access & control: Room C214 had been sealed since Apr 20; FSL Kolkata reopened it under supervision, maintaining chain of custody with institute officials, hall authorities, security staff, and the police investigating officer present. (Source: Times of India)
- Seizures: Investigators seized a mobile phone and a laptop from the room for digital forensics (content, timelines, communications, system logs). (Source: Times of India)
- Sampling & documentation: FSL collected multiple samples (not specified in the public report) after a “detailed examination” of the room starting ~11:30 AM. (Source: Times of India)
- Witness presence: Aniket’s brother Sudip was present during the forensic operation. (Source: Times of India)
Known case context (Public Record)
- Identification & background: Aniket Walkar (22), final-year Ocean Engineering & Naval Architecture, found hanging in J.C. Bose Hall on Apr 20, 2025. [Source] [Source]
- Family intervention: Brother Sudeep/Sudip’s Apr 27 letter pressed for a fair, independent probe. [Source]
- Institutional response: In June–July 2025, IIT-Kharagpur formed a 10-member external expert committee and began campus interactions after successive deaths, expressly noting Walkar family communications and wider judicial attention to student suicides. [Source] [Source]
- Wider pattern coverage: Subsequent reporting in July placed Walkar’s case within a series of campus deaths cited by multiple outlets. [Source] [Source]
Forensic lines of inquiry (What the Sep 2 Re-Visit likely seeks)
(Analytical, based on standard practice; case-specific confirmations pending official reports.)
- Ligature mechanics & scene reconstruction
- Verify anchor point height/strength, contact marks, toolmarks, and whether ligature pattern and knot type are consistent with self-suspension vs. staging.
- Re-examine for disturbance signatures (drag/scuff marks, displaced dust, micro-debris fields).
(Public report confirms scene re-examination but not itemized findings.) [Source] - Digital chronology (phone/laptop)
- Timeline of last activity, unsent drafts, call/message logs, cloud syncs, application telemetry, and potential external access; correlate with entry/exit logs and CCTV where available.
(Seizure is confirmed; analysis results not yet public.) [Source] - Trace & biological sampling
- Swabs from ligature, contact surfaces, and door/lock interfaces; DNA mixtures; touch DNA; latent prints; any volatile organics if chemical self-harm suspected (none reported so far).
(Sampling confirmed in principle, specifics not disclosed.) [Source] - Comparative context review
- Although each case stands alone, investigators may review procedural parity with other 2025 IIT-KGP cases to ensure consistency in scene processing and to preempt cross-case rumor propagation.
(Context drawn from July reporting.) [Source] [Source]
What is not publicly known yet
- No official conclusion has been released from the Sep 2 FSL revisit (no lab reports, no final cause-of-death update beyond “found hanging”). [Source]
- Itemized exhibits, lab tests, toxicology, and digital forensics outputs have not been disclosed in the cited reporting. [Source]
Accountability & next steps (as indicated by Public Reporting)
- Police investigation under Kharagpur Town PS continues (UDR/CrPC) with forensic inputs awaiting lab analysis. [Source]
- Institutional measures: IIT-KGP’s external expert committee is engaging students and is expected to table recommendations to address systemic gaps; these actions were catalyzed in part by Walkar family appeals and judicial focus on campus suicides. [Source] [Source]
Sources
- Times of India (Kolkata city page) — “IIT suicide: Forensic team visits hostel” (Published Sep 2, 2025) — primary report on the FSL visit, timing, room number, and seizures. [Source]
- Telegraph India — “Second suicide in four months… investigation on” (Apr 21–22, 2025) — early coverage confirming identity, hall, and date/timeframe. [Source]
- Mint — “Fourth-year IIT-Kharagpur student… identified as Aniket Walkar” (Apr 21, 2025) — identification and discovery details. [Source]
- BengalInfo — Sudeep Walkar’s Apr 27 letter excerpts seeking a fair probe. [Source]
- Times of India — “IIT-Kharagpur forms expert panel…” (Jun 2025) and “Expert panel to interact…” (Jul 2025) — campus committee formation & engagement following multiple deaths, including Walkar’s case. [Source] [Source]
- Gulf News / Tribune / other July reports — broader context listing Walkar’s Apr 20 death among 2025 campus fatalities. [Source]
