A final-year B Tech student of IIT Kanpur was found dead inside his hostel room on Monday, triggering shock across the campus during the winter vacation period.
The student, Jai Singh Meena, 26, was discovered hanging from a ceiling fan with a bedsheet in his hostel room, police said. A handwritten note bearing the words “Sorry Everyone” was recovered from the room.
FAMILY RAISED ALARM
Meena, a native of Ajmer in Rajasthan, was enroled in the Biological Sciences and Bioengineering programme and was staying in Room 148 of E Block at the campus hostel. The incident came to light after he failed to respond to repeated phone calls from his family.
Concerned relatives contacted one of his friends, who was away on vacation, following which other hostel residents were alerted. When there was no response to repeated knocks, students peered through a window and saw Meena hanging inside the room.
POLICE BREAK OPEN ROOM
The IIT Kanpur administration informed the Kalyanpur police, who broke open the door and recovered the body. A forensic team later examined the room and collected evidence.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Ashutosh Kumar said preliminary findings suggest that Meena may have cut his wrists before hanging himself. The body has been sent for postmortem examination, and a handwritten note has been seized.
Initial investigation points towards suicide, police said, adding that all aspects of the case are being examined, and further legal steps will follow based on the findings.
INSTITUTE EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES
The IIT Kanpur administration said Meena joined the institute in July 2020 and was regarded as a bright and promising student. The campus is currently observing winter vacation, which began on December 28, and he was reportedly planning to return home.
The family is expected to reach Kanpur on Tuesday, after which procedural formalities will be completed.
The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the campus, with the institute expressing condolences to the bereaved family.
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Published By:
Sonali Verma
Published On:
Dec 30, 2025
