A 27-year-old PhD scholar, Harshkumar Pandey, was found dead in his hostel room at IIT Kharagpur on Saturday, September 20, 2025. Pandey, a resident of Ranchi, Jharkhand, was a first-year PhD scholar in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He had joined IIT Kharagpur in January 2025 after completing his M.Tech at Motilal Nehru Institute of Technology in 2024.

The body was discovered in Room No. 557 of the B.R. Ambedkar Hall around 2 p.m.. According to police reports, Pandey's body was found hanging with a towel, and his feet were touching the ground. Fellow residents raised the alarm after finding the room locked and receiving no response to repeated knocks. Pandey's parents in Ranchi had been unable to reach him by phone since morning and contacted the institute's security. Security staff found the room locked from the inside, prompting them to inform the police.

This incident marks the sixth student death at IIT Kharagpur in 2025. Five of these deaths are suspected suicides, while one student died after choking on medication. In July, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student, Ritam Mondal, was found hanging in his hostel room. Also in July, a second-year electrical engineering student died after choking on pills. Earlier in the year, a third-year electrical engineering student, Shaon Mitra, was found dead in his room in January, and a final-year ocean engineering student, Aniket Walker, died three months later. In May, a third-year B.Tech student, Mohammad Asif Qamar, was also found dead.

IIT Kharagpur has initiated an FIR, and the police have commenced an investigation into the incident. The institute is extending full cooperation to the authorities and has constituted a fact-finding committee to examine the matter and submit its report at the earliest. The body has been sent for post-mortem.

IIT Kharagpur Director Professor Suman Chakraborty expressed grief over the incident, calling it a "heartbreaking loss". He stated that the institute is committed to building a compassionate ecosystem that listens, supports, and uplifts every member of the community through initiatives such as the Board of Hope and the creation of a Dean of Student Well-being. IIT Kharagpur has introduced several mental health initiatives in recent years, including counseling services, peer support teams, and the "Setu" App.

Earlier this month, a Supreme Court-appointed National Task Force visited the campus to investigate the rising cases of death by suicide in educational institutes across the country. The Supreme Court had set up a four-member team to probe the issue.