MUMBAI: The family of the 21-year-old civil engineering student at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) who died by suicide on Wednesday did not know that he was depressed and had sought help at the student wellness centre on campus, the deceased’s uncle has told the police.
“We do not suspect any foul play in his death, but we were not aware of him being under depression,” police officers quoted the deceased’s uncle saying.
On Friday morning, he and other relatives took the student’s body to his native place in Rajasthan for his last rites.
Meanwhile, police have recorded statements of the deceased’s classmates, police officers familiar with the case said.
“His classmates knew that he had been visiting the doctor at the Students Wellness Centre (SWC) for four days prior to his death,” said a police officer, requesting anonymity. “But they did not know that he was depressed or the reasons behind it.”
The deceased’s friends too told the police that he was good in both academics and extra curricular activities, but had not shared anything about his mental health with anyone.
“To probe the matter further and find the cause of his depression, we have called the deceased’s family members after his last rites are over,” the officer quoted earlier said.
On Wednesday, CCTV cameras captured the student waiting on the terrace of a nine-storeyed hostel building for nearly ten minutes before jumping off at 1.17am. He was rushed to Rajawadi Hospital where he was declared brought dead.
According to the police, the student’s father runs a business; one of his elder sisters is a chartered accountant while another is studying engineering. He had scored 6.7 out of 10 in the second semester and 7 out of 10 in the third semester; he had even submitted his assignments on time.
The deceased resided in a hostel which operates out of a two-storeyed building, while he jumped off the terrace of an adjacent hostel, which is housed in a nine-storeyed building, police said. The police found a handwritten note which said, “The world is not for me and I am under depression.”
The Powai police have registered an accidental death report (ADR) in the case.