IIT Guwahati student missing for over a week, no update yet
Kin alleges foul play in the incident, while the institute claims it’s aiding in the investigation and extending support to his family
IIT Guwahati has once again found itself amid controversy after a third-year B-Tech (Mechanical) student went missing last Tuesday. The student, Diwakar Morya (22) has been missing since Apr 9 after he went out with his friend in a rented two-wheeler. The rented scooty was found abandoned on the Brahmaputra bridge which is around 4 km from the institute.
Morya’s younger brother, Yash Kumar, alleged that the institute is not providing them with necessary support in the case.
“The institute (IIT Guwahati) is not allowing our relatives to meet the person who went with our brother and has kept him completely isolated. Everything is just a formality on their part,” Kumar told The Free Press Journal (FPJ). Kumar also informed FPJ that there has been no development in the case so far.
He further said, “My brother and his friend went to rent a car at around 5.30 pm because they had plans to go out the next day. However, while they were coming back, his friend who was driving the car, asked my brother to go ahead in the scooty since he had to stay back to fill the petrol in the car.”
The duo went to rent a car in a rented scooty.
“We were later told that when his friend reached the institute, my brother had still not arrived. His scooty was later found abandoned on the bridge with the keys still there,” Kumar added.
However, IIT Guwahati said that they are providing full support to the family. They said in a statement, “The Institute is in close coordination with the police authorities to aid in the investigation and search efforts. Furthermore, the parents of the missing student have been informed of the situation, and the Institute is extending its full support to them during this difficult time.”
When asked if Morya was depressed or had suicidal thoughts, Kumar said, “I used to talk to my brother very frequently and he didn’t sound any different or like he was going through a bad phase. I feel like my brother has been kidnapped, seeing that the scooty that was found was also in good condition and even had keys.”
IIT Guwahati further highlighted in its statement that “the safety and well-being of our students are of utmost importance to IIT Guwahati, and we are working diligently to ensure that every effort is made to locate the missing student.”
Morya is a resident of Alwar, Rajasthan. Back home, he has a younger brother and his mother. He enrolled into IIT Guwahati in November 2021. Kumar said that Morya also did not take any JEE coaching and studied independently to get into IIT Guwahati.