IIT Delhi students dispute claim chants near faculty homes were threatening

At 9pm on Saturday, a march from IIT Delhi hostels paused for about 15 minutes near faculty residences before moving towards the main gate, students said.

Students disputed the administration’s claim that slogans outside the residences were threatening or humiliating. In a statement, they said the chants called for institutional accountability, transparency and community solidarity, and that no protester entered the residential area. A 21-year-old BTech student said the group called out: “Come out, professors. Come and support us.”

Director Rangan Banerjee had said action could be taken against people who disrupted the campus’s peaceful functioning. Students said they had faced excessive police surveillance and would continue demonstrating.

The protest followed the August 22 death of 31-year-old MSc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar, which was reported as a suicide. Students are seeking an independent inquiry into what they describe as institutional lapses, ₹1 crore compensation for Kumar’s family, the resignation of the Dean of Students’ Welfare and protection from disciplinary action for participants.

IIT Delhi has formed an inquiry committee to investigate Kumar’s death. Students had earlier boycotted classes after Kumar’s death.