IIT scholar's death: Students call off agitation

Kanpur, Aug 11: Classes at the IIT here resumed today as the 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 student. Students at IIT Kanpur started boycotting classes after the death of Alok Pandey on Monday.

The administration had claimed that the scholar died due to a cardiac arrest, whereas the students of the hostel and his brother Adarsh Kumar Pandey had 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 decision to suspend Dr Shailendra Kishore of the health centre was taken 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 HRD Ministry mentioning the demands of 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 college. Services at the health centre will also be made better so that timely treatment can be given to students who fall sick, he added.

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

However, he died on the way to hospital. An FIR was also registered under IPC Section 304 A(causing death by rash or negligent act) against Kishore, 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.

PTI