IIT Mandi PhD student dies by suicide after distress over exam result

A PhD student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi was found hanging inside his rented accommodation in a village near the city on Tuesday. He had reportedly been distressed after the results of his PhD comprehensive test were announced.The IIT Mandi scholar's body was discovered after his family and landlord became concerned when he did not answer phone calls for a long time and did not even open the door. The police reached the address after receiving information about the situation.After several failed attempts to get a response from inside, the police broke the latch on the room's door. The man, identified as Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Dalhousie, was found hanging inside.Preliminary investigation revealed that his PhD comprehensive examination results were announced at around 4.30 pm on Monday. According to his family, the result was not as expected, following which Singh found himself in a state of distress. He did not attend classes on Tuesday. EVIDENCE COLLECTED, PROBE LAUNCHEDA team from the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL), Mandi, reached the incident site and inspected the room and collected necessary evidence.Police said that no suicide note or suspicious items were recovered. Statements of people in the surrounding area have been recorded, and an investigation into the circumstances of the death is underway. Police have initiated proceedings under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The body is being sent for post-mortem examination.Mandi Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar said the actual cause of the student's death would be known only after the post-mortem report is received. He said police were investigating all aspects of the case.- Ends(Based on inputs from Dheeram Veer)Published On: Sep 6, 2026 09:06 IST