IIT Kanpur Professor Dies Suddenly During Alumni Meet Speech Due To Cardiac Arrest

A senior professor at IIT Kanpur, 55-year-old Sameer Khandekar, passed away on Friday following a cardiac arrest during a speech at the university.

Khandekar was addressing attendees at an alumni meet in the IIT Kanpur auditorium when the incident occurred. He was sharing insights on maintaining good health and his last advice to the students was, "Take care of your health."

Shortly after imparting this guidance, Khandekar suddenly felt discomfort and chest pain. Despite momentarily sitting down, attendees initially believed his demeanor was emotionally charged.

However, Khandekar's condition deteriorated as he began sweating profusely and ultimately collapsed on stage.

Despite immediate medical attention and being rushed to the hospital, Khandekar was declared deceased. Dr. Neeraj Kumar indicated that Khandekar might have passed away due to a cardiac arrest or cardiac block, awaiting further details from the postmortem report.

The responsibility for the final rites of the professor lies with his son, currently studying at Cambridge University, as confirmed by individuals associated with Khandekar.

Khandekar had been managing high cholesterol since 2019 and was under continuous medical care.

Survived by his parents, wife, and son, Khandekar, originally from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, pursued his B.Tech from IIT Kanpur and later obtained his PhD in Germany.

Joining IIT Kanpur in 2004 as an assistant professor, Khandekar ascended to become an associate professor. He served as the Head of the Mechanical Department and Dean of Student Welfare, boasting a portfolio of eight patents.