A student enrolled in the fourth year of the Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science program at IIT Bombay died early Saturday morning after falling from a hostel building on the campus. Authorities are investigating the circumstances of the incident.

The student, identified as Rohit Sinha, 22, hailed from Delhi and lived in Hostel 17 on the Powai campus. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 10) Datta Nalawade, the fall occurred around 2:30 am, and the police were alerted shortly after hostel staff discovered the situation. “The incident was reported at 2.30 am by the hostel authorities after they found him,” said Nalawade.

Sinha was taken to Rajawadi Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. In a separate statement, campus officials claimed that the student was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the fall. However, the police confirmed that no suicide note has been recovered so far.

A fellow hostel resident who was reportedly on the terrace at the time told investigators he witnessed the fall while speaking on the phone. Meanwhile, law enforcement is recording statements from Sinha’s peers and academic staff to determine if he had shown signs of distress or was facing personal challenges. “The deceased’s parents have been informed. We are yet to search his room in case he left a suicide note,” added Nalawade.

The Powai police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR), although the possibility of suicide or foul play has not been ruled out. A post-mortem examination has been ordered to establish the exact cause of death.

This incident has reignited national concern around the mental health infrastructure and support systems within India’s top educational institutions.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court of India raised sharp questions over a series of student suicides reported at campuses like IIT Kharagpur, IIT Delhi, and Sharda University. A bench led by Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan took a stern view of the rising number of such deaths, especially at IIT Kharagpur, and asked the administration whether adequate mental health interventions had been introduced.

During the hearing, the Court was informed that IIT Kharagpur had formed a 10-member committee to address mental health issues and had launched a round-the-clock helpline for students. The counsel also noted that police complaints were filed shortly after the incidents.

In the Sharda University case, however, it was revealed that the deceased student’s body was moved by university staff before the police arrived, raising concerns about the integrity of the crime scene. The Amicus Curiae told the Court that this might have compromised the investigation due to multiple individuals contaminating the evidence.

Further, the Amicus noted that efforts to contact local police in the IIT Kharagpur case had failed, and although a post-mortem was conducted, results remained unclear. The Court expressed concern over the pace and transparency of the investigations and has scheduled a follow-up hearing in four weeks.

As investigations into Rohit Sinha’s death progress, the focus remains on both the specific case and the broader issue of student welfare at elite academic institutions in India.