IIT Kharagpur student Ankit Sharma dies after fourth-floor fall
Synopsis
A second-year Mechanical Engineering student at IIT Kharagpur died after falling from the fourth floor of the Nalanda building on 13 August — the latest in a deeply troubling series of deaths at the campus. With seven students dead in 2025 alone and police still investigating whether this fall was accidental or intentional, questions about student welfare at one of India’s top institutions are reaching a critical point.
Key Takeaways
Ankit Sharma , a second-year Mechanical Engineering student from Rajasthan , died after falling from the fourth floor of the Nalanda building at IIT Kharagpur on 13 August .
He was found injured at approximately 3 pm and declared brought dead at B.C.
Roy Hospital on campus.
Additional SP Bushara Bano confirmed the death and said police are investigating whether the fall was accidental or intentional.
Last month, assistant professor Deepak Reddy Pullaguram was found hanging in his campus quarters.
In April 2025 , student Jaiveer Singh Dodia died by suicide at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hall on the same campus.
In 2025 , seven IIT Kharagpur students died under mysterious circumstances, five of them found hanging.
An engineering student, Ankit Sharma, died on Thursday, 13 August after reportedly falling from the fourth floor of the Nalanda building at IIT Kharagpur in West Midnapore district, West Bengal. Security personnel found him injured and rushed him to B.C. Roy Hospital on campus, where doctors declared him brought dead.
What Happened
Ankit Sharma, a second-year Mechanical Engineering student and a native of Rajasthan, had been admitted to IIT Kharagpur in July last year. He reportedly fell from the fourth floor of the Nalanda building at approximately 3 pm on Thursday. Security guards who spotted him covered in blood immediately alerted campus authorities and transported him to B.C. Roy Hospital, but he could not be saved.
Police Investigation Underway
Officers from the Hijli outpost of Kharagpur Town police station reached the scene after being informed of the incident. Additional Superintendent of Police (Kharagpur) Bushara Bano visited the spot and confirmed the death. “There has been an unusual death of a student. He fell from the fourth floor. What exactly happened is being investigated,” she said.
Police are examining whether the fall was accidental or intentional. According to reports, Sharma had a scheduled class in the Nalanda building at the time of the incident. The circumstances remain unclear, and no official conclusion has been reached.
IIT Kharagpur's Troubling Recent History
This is not an isolated incident at the premier institution. Last month, the body of Deepak Reddy Pullaguram, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and a resident of Hyderabad, was found hanging in his campus quarters. In April this year, a student named Jaiveer Singh Dodia died by suicide after jumping from the eighth floor of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hall on the same campus.
Notably, in 2025, seven students of IIT Kharagpur died under mysterious circumstances, with five of them reportedly found hanging. The pattern of deaths at one of India’s most prestigious technical institutions has raised serious questions about student welfare, mental health support, and campus safety.
IIT Authorities Silent
As of the time of reporting, IIT Kharagpur authorities had not issued any official statement regarding the death of Ankit Sharma. The silence from the institution’s administration has drawn criticism from those who argue that transparent communication is essential given the repeated fatalities on campus.
The matter is under active police investigation. A post-mortem examination is expected to provide further clarity on the cause of death.
Point of View
A faculty suicide last month, and now another unexplained fall. The institution’s continued silence after each incident is itself a story. India’s IITs carry enormous social prestige and competitive pressure; that combination, without robust, accessible mental health infrastructure, is a structural risk that administrators have repeatedly failed to address publicly. The absence of any official statement from IIT Kharagpur following multiple deaths in quick succession raises accountability questions that neither the campus nor the Ministry of Education can afford to keep deferring.
NationPress
14 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Ankit Sharma and what happened to him at IIT Kharagpur?
Ankit Sharma was a second-year Mechanical Engineering student at IIT Kharagpur, originally from Rajasthan, who had enrolled in July last year. He died on 13 August after reportedly falling from the fourth floor of the Nalanda building on campus at around 3 pm; he was declared brought dead at B.C. Roy Hospital.
Is police treating the IIT Kharagpur student death as suicide or an accident?
Police have not yet determined the cause. Officers from the Hijli outpost of Kharagpur Town police station are investigating whether the fall was accidental or intentional. Additional SP Bushara Bano confirmed the death is being treated as an ‘unusual death’ pending investigation.
How many students have died at IIT Kharagpur recently?
In 2025, seven IIT Kharagpur students died under mysterious circumstances, with five of them reportedly found hanging. In April 2025, student Jaiveer Singh Dodia died by suicide at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hall. Last month, assistant professor Deepak Reddy Pullaguram was also found dead on campus.
Has IIT Kharagpur responded to the latest student death?
As of the time of reporting, IIT Kharagpur authorities had not issued any official statement regarding the death of Ankit Sharma. The institution has not publicly commented on the incident.
Where exactly did the incident occur at IIT Kharagpur?
The incident occurred at the Nalanda building on the IIT Kharagpur campus in West Midnapore district, West Bengal. Ankit Sharma reportedly fell from the fourth floor of that building, where he had a scheduled class at the time.
