Mumbai, October 21: A 19-year-old second-year student at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) in Mumbai died by suicide in his hostel room on Tuesday night, police said, a month after the death of an IIT Bombay student that set off protests across the city.

The student has been identified as Siddhesh Patil, from Nashik. He was studying chemical engineering and lived in Hostel 5 on the institute’s Matunga campus. He was found in his room on the second floor. The incident was reported at around 10:30 pm, and police believe it took place late on Tuesday night.

What police say

Matunga Police have registered an accidental death report and are investigating the circumstances. Officers are gathering statements and trying to establish the sequence of events. They have not given a reason for the death, and it would be wrong to guess at one.

According to preliminary information, Patil had been facing mental health difficulties in recent days and was receiving treatment. On Tuesday, he reportedly sent a message to his doctor expressing distress. The doctor alerted his family, who contacted his friends in the hostel and asked them to check on him straight away. By the time his friends reached his room, it was reportedly too late.

The IIT Bombay case

The death comes a little over a month after Sahil Wakode, a 20-year-old second-year student in IIT Bombay’s Energy Science and Engineering department, died by suicide on September 18. He had been found allegedly using a mobile phone during an examination earlier that day. IIT Bombay has said that no disciplinary proceedings had been started against him and that he had been counselled and assured that the incident would not harm his academic career.

Wakode’s death led to protests at the Powai campus. His parents have demanded the arrest of the institute’s director and a faculty member, and the case is being investigated by the Crime Branch. Reports say it was the third reported suicide at IIT Bombay in six months. The two cases involve different institutions and different circumstances, and there is nothing to suggest a connection between them.

A wider conversation

For many families, sending a young person to a college in a big city is a source of pride and worry. Long hours, academic pressure, distance from home and the intensity of hostel life can be heavy, and students do not always find it easy to ask for help. The deaths have drawn fresh attention to the need for accessible, confidential mental health support on campuses, and for people around students to notice when someone is struggling and to act on it.

Experts say there is rarely a single cause behind a suicide, and that reporting should avoid simple explanations. What is clear is that early conversations, trained counsellors and friends who feel able to speak up can make a difference.

If you need support

If you or someone you know is struggling, please talk to someone you trust, such as a friend, a family member, a teacher or a counsellor, or contact a trained mental health professional or a local helpline. Reaching out early helps.

What next

Police will record statements from the family, friends and hostel staff, and will decide on further steps after the investigation. The institute has not issued a public statement in the reports I reviewed.

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