Jitesh Sharma, a third year chemical engineering student from IIT-Bombay, was found dead on Saturday on a hostel terrace. The police have recovered a suicide note.
“He said in the note that he was frustrated with his studies. We have registered an accidental death report (ADR) and are recording the statements of his parents,” the Powai police told The Hindu .
Jitesh’s body was found between 6.30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday. “He was frothing at the mouth and a bottle of an aerated drink was found near him. He perhaps consumed something, but we do not know what it was,” an IIT spokesperson said.
The institute said Jitesh was suffering from depression and was struggling to cope with academics. “He wasn’t doing too well academically, but recently his grades were improving, which is why his death comes as a shock. We offered him a lot of support. He was seeking help from the institute’s counselling facility and also was undergoing therapy from a doctor in Delhi. His family was aware of his condition,” the spokesperson said.
The post-mortem examination was done at Mumbai’s Rajawadi hospital. Jitesh’s family intends to take his body for cremation to their hometown in Rohtak, Haryana.
Saturday’s incident comes close on the heels of the death of IIT-B student Aniket Ambhore in September 2014, who fell to his death from the sixth-floor of a hostel.
