20-year-old deaf and mute IIIT-Allahabad student jumps to death from hostel building

A 20-year-old BTech student, identified as Rahul Chaitanya, committed suicide by jumping off the fourth floor of the hostel at IIIT-Allahabad. Authorities are investigating the incident and a committee has been formed to address student issues and emotional

PRAYAGRAJ: A 20-year-old BTech first-year deaf and mute student of Indian Institute of Information & Technology, Allahabad (IIIT-A), committed suicide by jumping off the hostel building on the institute's campus in Prayagraj late on Saturday.

Identified as Rahul Chaitanya, the deceased was a resident of Nizamabad, Telangana, said DCP (city) Abhishek Bharti.

According to preliminary investigations, the student jumped off from the fourth floor of the hostel's building around 12.10 am on Saturday after sending a message to his family members, police said, while refusing to divulge the content of the message.

"No suicide note was recovered from the hostel room," said Bharti.

While the reason behind the suicide was still unknown, the body has been sent for post-mortem.

"The police team is gathering details from family members. The forensic experts are also looking for clues. We are thoroughly probing the case," the DCP (City) staid

Meanwhile, the authorities of IIIT-A have constituted a three-member fact-finding committee to investigate the case.

"The authorities have also formed a five-member fact-finding sub-committee to find out the problems faced by students, and suggest ways to solve their issues," said Pankaj Mishra, public relations officer (PRO), IIIT-A.

The committee of Prof US Tiwary, Prof OP Vyas, Prof Pavan Chakraborty will conduct an inquiry and submit its report to director incharge Prof G C Nandi within a week, said Mishra.

The committee which will look into students' issues, including the emotional turmoil, will comprise of chairman, council of wardens, all wardens, senior faculty members and representative of students.

"The panel will discuss ways to create a sympathetic and supportive environment for students, particularly for those who are from different states, prioritizing mental health support and counselling services," said Mishra.

The concerns related to allegations of faculty misbehaviour, if any, will also be addressed," he said.

A group of students also took out a candle march to pay homage to the deceased student on Sunday evening. The students also demanded a fair probe into the suicide case.