Fifth Suicide in Two Months Rocks NIT Kurukshetra; Mess Worker Found Hanging on Campus
29-year-old Kaushal, a chapati maker at Hostel 4 mess, found dead on Monday morning; family alleges security guards watched but failed to raise alarm, raising fresh questions about safety and mental health support at the institute
A shadow of grief and alarm has once again fallen over the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, after a mess worker was found hanging from a mango tree behind the Hostel No. 4 mess on Monday morning — the fifth suicide reported at the institute in just two months.
The deceased has been identified as Kaushal, 29, a resident of Fatehpur, Hardoi district, Uttar Pradesh, who had been working at the hostel mess for approximately one year, making chapatis for students. He is survived by his wife Shivani, 25, and two young sons — Mayank, 5, and Mridul, 18 months.
How the Tragedy Unfolded
According to family members, Kaushal returned home the previous night after consuming alcohol. At around 4 AM on Monday, he asked his wife for his bag, told her he was leaving for duty, and quietly stepped out of the house. Barely two hours later, at approximately 6 AM, the head cook discovered him hanging from a rope tied to a mango tree at the rear of the mess premises and immediately alerted NIT administration and police.
Police arrived promptly, took possession of the body, and launched an investigation. After a post-mortem examination, the body was handed over to the family. A coincidental report has been registered on the statement of the deceased’s brother-in-law, Ashok Kumar of Ashapur, Hardoi. The family will perform the last rites at Kaushal’s ancestral village.
Sister Alleges Security Guards Failed to Act
The incident has triggered serious questions about security and surveillance within the NIT campus. Kaushal’s sister Poonam alleged that security guards on duty at the time of the incident failed to alert anyone even after the tragedy occurred, despite the fact that their post was directly opposite the site of the incident.
“The security guards were on duty right there. They may have even seen what was happening, yet no one raised an alarm or informed anyone,” she said, her voice breaking with grief.
A Distress Signal on Social Media
In a deeply troubling detail, family members revealed that prior to the incident, Kaushal had posted a grief-laden song as a status on Instagram, accompanied by a photograph of his late father — a possible cry for help that went unheeded. A nephew noticed the status and called Kaushal home, where family members tried to counsel him. Despite their efforts, the tragedy could not be prevented.
The Alarming Pattern: Five Suicides in Two Months
Monday’s death is the fifth suicide to be reported at NIT Kurukshetra in roughly two months, and the first involving a non-student. The earlier four cases all involved students of the institute, each death deepening concerns about the mental health environment, academic pressure, and institutional support systems on campus.
The back-to-back tragedies have left the campus community shaken and raised urgent questions about whether the institute has adequate counselling infrastructure, mental health awareness programmes, and a robust early-warning system to identify individuals in distress — whether students or staff.
Campus authorities are yet to issue a formal statement on the latest incident or announce any concrete measures to address the alarming pattern of suicides.
