IIT-Delhi student hangs self in room

DECEASED LEAVES A NOTE, SAYING HE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED BY TWO OF HIS COUSINS AND WAS DEPRESSED

NEWDELHI:A 21-year-old IIT-Delhi student hanged himself from the ceiling fan of his hostel room in the early hours of Friday. The deceased student left behind a suicide note in which he suggested that he was taking the extreme step as he was a victim of sexual abuse in his childhood.

Police said the student in his suicide note also said paedophiles should be punished severely.

Police, after preliminary investigations, have found that the student had two days ago made a failed suicide attempt. “The deceased was a first-year student of IIT-Delhi. We received a call around 8am from the college that a student had committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan of his hostel room,” said deputy commissioner of police (south west) Milind Mahadeo Dumbere.

The officer said in the suicide note the victim alleged he was depressed and was committing suicide because of his childhood trauma.

DCP Dumbere did not divulge the contents of the note, but another investigator said the suicide note details how the student was sexually abused while growing up and how he came out of it but was still haunted by memories of the past.

“In the hand-written note, he states that at a very early age he was abused by his cousins, both of who are elder than him. Till the time he came to Delhi, the abuse continued,” said the officer.

He has also mentioned that after coming to Delhi, he continued to be traumatised and hated himself despite being the victim.

His elder brother told the police that the student had attempted suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills on Tuesday. He was then admitted to Safdarjung hospital and discharged.

“He has told his roommates to leave him alone because he wanted to sleep. Later, he locked the room door from inside,” said an officer, adding that the incident came to light when one of his roommates raised an alert after the student did not answer repeated knocks.

Police said they are looking into the case and are seeking legal opinion if a case of sexual assault could be registered in Delhi based on the suicide note.