IIT-ISM Dhanbad student dies after falling from hostel's eighth floor

A final-year IIT-ISM Dhanbad student died after falling from Aquamarine Hostel's eighth floor. Police and institute officials are investigating the circumstances as his family travels to Dhanbad.The final-year Petroleum Engineering student of IIT-ISM Dhanbad - Mane Pratik Rajkumar (Image: LinkedIn)New Delhi,Oct 31, 2026 14:48 ISTA final-year student of IIT (ISM) Dhanbad died after falling from the eighth floor of Aquamarine Hostel on Saturday morning, triggering concern on the campus.The deceased has been identified as Mane Rajkumar Pratik, a student of the Petroleum Engineering department. He was around 24-25 years old and hailed from Ahmedpur in Maharashtra.According to preliminary information, the incident took place between 7:30 am and 7:45 am. Following the incident, the student was rushed to Asharfi Hospital in Dhanbad, where doctors made efforts to save him. However, he was declared dead after examination.His body has been kept in the hospital mortuary. This is the 15th IIT student death in 2026. In 2025, there were a total of 16 IIT student suicides and unnatureal deaths, the highest in 20 years.Pratik was reportedly a brilliant student and had recently achieved a significant academic milestone by securing All India Rank (AIR) 10 in the Petroleum Engineering paper of GATE 2026. In a LinkedIn post, he had credited the academic environment, faculty members and the Department of Petroleum Engineering at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad for helping him achieve the rank. Beyond academics, Pratik was actively involved in student leadership and extracurricular initiatives at IIT-ISM Dhanbad.POLICE LAUNCH PROBEDhanbad Police have initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the student's death. Police officials have also informed the family members about the incident.Dhanbad SP Prabhat Kumar said the police were looking into the matter and that further details would emerge as the investigation progresses.Investigators are questioning students and friends who were in contact with the deceased to establish the sequence of events.Officials said the exact circumstances that led to the student falling from the eighth floor remain unclear. The police are awaiting the arrival of his family members in Dhanbad before proceeding with further inquiries.INSTITUTE AWAITS FAMILY'S ARRIVALRam Manohar, Security In-charge at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, confirmed that the student's family had been informed and that the institute was waiting for them to reach Dhanbad.He said the police had also been notified and that both the institute administration and the police were investigating the incident.The circumstances surrounding the fall and the reason behind the student's death have not yet been established. Officials said the cause would become clearer only after the investigation is completed.- Ends