Kanpur: Students call off agitation over IIT scholar's death

Kanpur: Classes at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) resumed on Thursday as students called off their 4-day-long agitation over the death of a 26-year-old research scholar, after the institute accepted their demands and suspended the doctor of the health care centre till a fact finding committee submits its report.

The institute also decided to give a compensation of Rs 8 lakh to the family of the deceased student, Alok Pandey.

Students at IIT Kanpur started boycotting classes after Alok’s death of on Monday. The administration had claimed that the scholar died due to a cardiac arrest, whereas students in the hostel and his brother Adarsh Kumar Pandey alleged that Alok died after he was given an injection by a doctor at the centre without conducting any tests.

A meeting of the advisory committee was held at the campus till 4 am and the institute decided to suspend the doctor, Shailendra Kishore, of the health centre as he was accused of giving Alok a wrong injection, IIT Kanpur Director Indraneel Manna said.

"He will remain suspended until the report is received and if found guilty, action will be taken against the doctor," he said.

The college authorities have also sent a letter to the Human Resource Development Ministry mentioning demands for a CBI probe into the incident and a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the family, Manna said.

The fact finding committee consists of three doctors and two students from the institute. Services at the health centre will also be improved so that timely treatment can be given to students who fall sick, he added.

Alok, a PhD scholar of Material Science at IIT Kanpur, had complained of severe chest and neck pain after which he was rushed to the institute's health centre. He was referred to a cardiology centre after his condition deteriorated. However, he died on the way to hospital.

An FIR was also registered against Kishore under Section 304 A(causing death by rash or negligent act) of the Indian Penal Code, the warden in-charge, Guide Kamal Kekar and the hospital administrator, Kanpur SSP Shalabh Mathur had said.

Alok's brother alleged that the scholar was ill-treated and tortured in the hostel.