ICT Mumbai student dies by suicide; 2nd-year classes moved online for 1 week

Mumbai: A second-year BTech student of chemical engineering at Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) in Matunga died by suicide in his hostel room on Tuesday night.

An academic topper, Siddhesh Patil (19) had been undergoing psychiatric treatment for depression for the past three years, said police. He hailed from Nashik.

The tragedy left the ICT community stunned. “We had not seen a single case in the last 20 years. This has left us shocked beyond words,” said a faculty member.

The institute has moved second-year classes online for a week, while laboratory sessions and tests have been cancelled.

For Patil’s friends, the shock is compounded by the ordinariness of their last interaction. Only hours before his death, he had been participating in a student group chat about an upcoming academic project. “We are finding it difficult to believe that he is no more,” a student said. “There is complete silence in our group.”Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena members protested at ICT over the alleged absence of the campus authorities.