JNUSU Holds Protest Over IIT Delhi Student’s Death, Demands Probe Into ‘Institutional Negligence’
JNUSU held a protest over the death of IIT Delhi MSc Physics student Rishikesh Kumar and demanded an inquiry into alleged institutional negligence and administrative accountability.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) held a protest on August 23 over the death of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi student. Rishikesh Kumar, a second-year Master of Science (MSc) Physics student, died after falling from the sixth floor of the institute’s Lecture Hall Complex on August 22.
The JNU students’ union has demanded an inquiry into the matter, raising concerns over “institutional negligence and administrative accountability.”
A student at the protest said, “We learnt on August 22’s night that a Master’s student named Rishikesh died after jumping from the sixth floor. People are saying that he was depressed, but how did he become depressed? There should be a thorough inquiry into why he was not being given projects, how the administration was acting arbitrarily, and how it was promoting people close to them.”
#WATCH | Delhi: Students from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) hold a protest over the death of a second-year MSc Physics student at IIT Delhi.
— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2026
The protestors were detained by the police. pic.twitter.com/1sxvphIOon
Rishikesh Kumar, 31, was in the second year of his Master’s programme in Physics. According to the Delhi Police, they received a PCR call at around 8:33 am on August 22 regarding a student who had fallen from a building at the IIT Delhi campus.
Kumar was taken to the institute’s hospital, where he was declared brought dead. A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team and the Crime Team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence, according to police.
The Delhi Police said Kumar entered the institute through the main gate at around 8 am and took a lift to the sixth floor of the Lecture Hall Complex. He allegedly jumped from the front side of the building.
Police said no suicide note was found and no apparent injury marks were observed apart from those sustained in the fall. Kumar’s mobile phone will be examined as part of the investigation.
The police are also obtaining counselling records and other relevant information from the institute as part of the investigation, in accordance with the law. The case remains under investigation.
Sahil Behl is an education journalist at Jagran with over a year of experience in journalism. Prior to joining Jagran, he worked as a Sub-Editor in NDTV's Education department, where he was responsible for writing and editing education-related content as well as managing the department's social media presence. At Jagran, he covers a wide range of education topics, including board examinations, school updates, admissions, and job notifications, while leveraging his editorial expertise and strong understanding of digital content strategy.
Sahil holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and has also completed an eight-month certification program in Data Science. Passionate about emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, he closely tracks their growing role in journalism and explores how they are transforming shaping the future of the media industry.
