IIT Delhi forms final panel to probe MSc student's death, Justice Mukta Gupta to head inquiry

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has constituted the final external inquiry committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of a 31-year-old MSc Physics student, the institute said.

The five-member committee will be headed by Justice Mukta Gupta, a retired judge of the Delhi High Court. It will also include Professor Pratap Sharan, head of the Department of Psychiatry at AIIMS New Delhi, four student representatives, and the Registrar, who will serve as secretary and convenor.

Also read: IIT Delhi students stage sit-in over MSc student's death; classes suspended amid demands for probe


The committee will hold discussions with relevant students, faculty members and concerned administrative offices, review existing protocols and processes, and make recommendations, the institute said. It has been asked to submit its report within two weeks.

The student, Rishikesh Kumar, died on August 22 after falling from the sixth floor of the Lecture Hall Complex (LHC) on the IIT Delhi campus. Police have said no suicide note was recovered and that the circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation. Delhi Police have registered a case of abetment to suicide against unidentified persons in connection with the death.

Kumar's death triggered protests on campus, with students demanding an independent probe, accountability from the administration, and the resignation of senior officials, including the Dean of Student Welfare and the head of the Physics department. Classes were suspended for a day amid the demonstrations.

IIT Delhi had initially named former Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar, an alumnus of the institute, as chair of the proposed committee. He recused himself citing prior commitments, after some protesting students had also objected to the panel's composition and demanded it be led by a former High Court judge.

The institute had earlier said Kumar joined IIT Delhi in July 2025 and was residing in a campus hostel. Following concerns raised by fellow students after Holi this year, he was referred to the institute hospital and later underwent about a month of inpatient treatment at a specialised facility. He subsequently sought withdrawal from a semester, which the institute approved.

IIT Delhi has said it will also appoint an external ombudsperson to address student grievances that remain unresolved through existing internal mechanisms, and is extending financial support to Kumar's family, including reimbursement of medical expenses and assistance from its benevolent fund.

IIT Delhi statement on timeline

In an official statement detailing the student's medical and academic timeline, the institute shared, "The student joined IIT-Delhi in July 2025 and was residing in a hostel on campus. He was an academically bright student.

Following concerns raised by fellow students a few days after the Holi festivities earlier this year, he was immediately referred to the IIT-Delhi Hospital through the institute ambulance. He was assessed and supported by the institute psychiatrist, following which his family said that they want to take him to a specialised hospital."

The statement further explained, "Thereafter, he underwent approximately one month of inpatient treatment at the specialised hospital before being discharged. The student subsequently requested withdrawal from the second semester (Jan-May 2026), which was approved by the institute. In July, his health records were reviewed, and medical advice was again given that he should continue to remain under parental supervision.

"He was provided counselling and treatment support by the institute counsellor/doctor in both July and August 2026. His request for withdrawal from the third semester (July-Nov 2026) was also approved by the institute."