Kolkata: On August 8, Anamitra Ray, a 25-year-old third-year PhD research fellow in the Department of Biology, died by suicide inside the biology lab of IISER, Kolkata.

His death marks the third death by suicide among students at IISER Kolkata in the last eight years. Sagar Mondal died on May 2, 2017 and Shubhodip Ray died on April 4, 2022.

Each time, the administration has responded by setting up a fact-finding committee – an exercise that, students allege, leads nowhere, in an institution plagued by glaring flaws in its complaints mechanism.

Ragging and harassment allegations

On August 7, the day before his death, Anamitra posted a deeply emotional note on Facebook, speaking in detail of the alleged humiliation he had faced from a fellow research student, Sourabh Biswas, and his supervisor, Anindita Bhadra.

“I was never made for this world, it seems. Yes, I did find some good people, some friends, some bits of love here and there. But I can’t do this anymore...If I am to be remembered, I hope I will be remembered for the kindness I showed to many who needed it," he wrote.

Anamitra wrote that he was harassed at IISER on a regular basis, highlighting what happened each time. On April 12, for instance, he wrote that Sourabh allegedly shouted at him for an extended period inside the lab. Anamitra said he filed formal complaints with the IISER Anti-Ragging Cell – both by email and through the official portal – but never received a reply.

Instead, he wrote, one member of the Students’ Affairs Council told him he should have “thought about the lab’s reputation before complaining.” His supervisor, Anamitra alleged, found fault only with him.

He detailed that on the morning of August 7, his supervisor praised Sourabh and his work even though, according to Anamitra, much of that work contained “huge scientific misconduct”.

When Anamitra's friend rushed to his rented home in Kalyani upon reading his post on Facebook, they learnt that he had last been at the biology lab. They found him lying unconscious there.  Some lab mates who were present allegedly said they had not called an ambulance, Anamitra's friend has said.

At around 10 pm, his friend, another PhD student from a different lab, along with IISER officials, took him to AIIMS Kalyani.

On August 8, he died. Doctors said his death appeared to be from an overdose of neurological medication. Several friends said he had been on prescribed stress medication for some time.

Anamitra was from Shyamnagar in the North 24 Parganas. His father is a retired postmaster and his mother is a homemaker. His sister, Poushali, has lodged an FIR with Haringhata Police against Sourabh Biswas and Anindita Bhadra, accusing them of abetment to suicide. Poushali blames the IISER administration for negligence.

Massive student protests followed, leading to the resignation of Ayan Banerjee, Dean of Students’ Affairs. Banerjee, it turns out, was the chairman of the Anti-Ragging Committee. He is also the husband of Bhadra, against whom Anamitra had lodged his complaint, in a glaring conflict of interest.

The Anti-Ragging Committee itself has been dissolved, and students are demanding an investigation into its former members.

Members from the IISER Kolkata student community also lodged a police complaint, which details more incidents than the one lodged by Anamitra's family. The second complaint cited Anamitra's Facebook posts and a Google Drive he had uploaded. However, police did not register this FIR.

Superintendent of Police, Ranaghat Police District, Ashish Maurya, told The Wire that police are acting on the basis of the social media post and the family’s formal complaint. Officers have already examined the biology lab.

Sourabh, however, has denied any role in ragging Anamitra or harassing him.

Several students allege that systematic abuse has long existed within IISER Kolkata, a premier science institute which houses the some of the most talented researchers of the state.

In 2017, SagarMondal, a second-year BS-MS student from a farmer’s family, was found hanging in a hostel toilet. Seniors had allegedly ragged him. Despite claims that he “was not focused” and “did not understand English well,” he had scored 70% in consecutive semesters. A fact-finding committee was formed.

In 2022, Shubhodip Ray, a final-year Integrated PhD scholar, was found dead in the physics lab. Friends alleged his guide had refused to cooperate with him and humiliated him repeatedly. Again, a fact-finding committee was formed.

Students who requested anonymity said this atmosphere of mistreatment persists but that they fear retaliation. "The academic world runs heavily on faculty recommendations – one negative word from a professor can ruin a young researcher’s career prospects," a student said.

The director has assured students that they will not face consequences for speaking up, but fear remains, many say.

Institutional Apathy

Students have also accused the institute of callousness. When Anamitra’s body was brought to campus for the last time, the gates were reportedly kept closed for 30 minutes. It was only after protests that the body was allowed in.

A PhD student from the biology department said: “The lab culture here is very toxic. Even if we want to take a single day off, we are harassed. Often, CSIR fellowships don’t arrive on time, adding financial pressure. If the work environment is toxic too, things become unbearable.”

IISER Kolkata’s flagship programme is a five-year BS-MS dual degree. Many BS-MS students The Wire spoke to said they have wondered why they stayed back instead of pursuing options abroad.

IISER Kolkata’s motto reads: 'Towards Excellence in Science.' Its NIRF ranking, publications in prestigious journals, and state-of-the-art labs may testify to academic excellence. In reality, this excellence comes at the cost of its students' wellbeing.

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