2nd-year IIT Bombay Student Dies After Fall From Hostel Terrace

Mumbai: A second-year BTech student of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) allegedly died by suicide in the early hours of Wednesday, police said. The deceased has been identified as Naman Agarwal (21), a Civil Engineering student and a native of Rajasthan.

According to preliminary information, the incident occurred between midnight and 1.30 a.m., when Agarwal allegedly jumped from the terrace of the nine-storey Hostel No. 4. Students who were studying late at night, along with a security guard, reportedly heard a loud thud and rushed to the spot, where they found Agarwal critically injured. He was immediately taken to the hospital on the IIT campus, where doctors declared him dead.

Speaking to this newspaper, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 10) Datta Nalawade said the student’s family had been informed. “The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. Agarwal’s uncle has arrived in Mumbai,” he said.

According to Rajawadi Hospital authorities, the deceased was directly taken to the post-mortem centre at Rajawadi Hospital, which falls under the state government’s jurisdiction.

Police said preliminary inquiries revealed that Agarwal was residing in Hostel No. 3. Investigators are questioning his roommate and other students to ascertain why he went to Hostel No. 4. A panchnama of his hostel room is also being conducted as part of the investigation.

A senior police officer said it was too early to draw conclusions. “We are probing the incident from all angles, including academic stress. We are speaking to his classmates and family members to gather more information,” the officer said, adding that Agarwal appeared to be under stress.

Powai Police have registered an accidental death report for now. “If any evidence of abetment or other factors emerges, further legal action will be initiated as per law,” the officer said.

The incident recalls a similar case in 2023, when 18-year-old IIT Bombay student Darshan Solanki died after jumping from a hostel terrace. A special investigation team was formed in that case, and a classmate was later arrested on charges of abetment of suicide.

In another incident, a 22-year-old IIT Bombay student, Rohit Sinha, a fourth-year Metallurgical Sciences student from Delhi, died in a hostel room in Powai in the early hours of August 2, 2025. Police had then said he was unable to cope with academic pressure.