Rishikesh Kumar’s family says he had spoken of severe distress before his death at IIT Delhi

Rishikesh Kumar, a 31-year-old MSc Physics student at IIT Delhi, died on the campus on August 22 after a period in which his family says he had been struggling with his mental health.

His mother, Asha Poddar, said Kumar had told her the previous night that he was in pain. His brother, Abhishek Kumar, said the family had spoken to a doctor after Kumar shared thoughts of self-harm and that he had wanted to return to Patna.

Kumar joined IIT Delhi in July 2025 and was initially staying in a campus hostel. The institute said fellow students had raised concerns about his wellbeing after Holi this year, after which he was assessed at the IIT Delhi Hospital and later received about a month of inpatient treatment at a specialised hospital.

IIT Delhi said Kumar’s withdrawal from the January-May 2026 semester and the July-November 2026 semester had been approved. It said he received counselling and treatment support in July and August. His family has criticised the institute’s handling of his return to study and hostel accommodation.

The institute has formed an external committee to examine the circumstances of his death, as reported earlier.