An assistant professor, a woman scholar, and her mother have been booked for abetment to suicide after a court order in connection with the February death of a 24-year-old IIT Kanpur PhD student.
A case of abetment to suicide has been filed against an assistant professor from IIT Kanpur and two others following court orders, in connection with the death of a 24-year-old PhD scholar who was discovered hanging in his hostel room on the campus in February this year, according to police reports.
This action follows a complaint by Ramsoorat Yadav, the father of the deceased, Ankit Yadav, who alleged that his son was driven to this tragic decision due to harassment and blackmail.
The other two accused include a female research scholar and her mother. So far, no arrests have been made in the case. Ankit was pursuing his PhD under the supervision of the assistant professor in the chemistry department.
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Kalyanpur Station House Officer (SHO) Sudhir Kumar stated that an investigation has begun, and a suicide note allegedly written by the victim is currently under examination.
According to police, Ramsoorat Yadav, a resident of Azamgarh, claimed that his son was emotionally manipulated and financially exploited by the female scholar.
Under her pressure, Ankit reportedly lent her Rs.50,000, which he had obtained through a personal loan. Ramsoorat asserted that after confronting them about the situation, the woman and her mother returned the money and promised not to harass Ankit again.
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However, he alleged that they resumed blackmailing Ankit, threatening to damage his future by leaking compromising photos and videos, as well as filing false police complaints against him. They allegedly demanded the return of the Rs.50,000 and sought additional funds.
The complainant also accused the assistant professor of contributing to Ankit’s mental distress by subjecting him to prolonged hours in the laboratory without justification, withholding food, and humiliating him publicly.
According to the allegations, when Ankit communicated that he could no longer endure the pressure and was unable to provide any further money, the two threatened to falsely accuse him in legal matters.
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They reportedly told him to pay Rs.5 lakh or take his own life, as per the complaint. Ankit’s body was found in his hostel room on February 10 after friends broke down the door. The police indicated that a suicide note was recovered, in which the victim did not assign blame to anyone.
Additionally, the police referenced Ramsoorat’s complaint, noting that Ankit had spoken with his mother earlier that same morning, discussing the harassment from the assistant professor and the female researcher, while expressing no intent to commit suicide.