Maharashtra: ‘My son was a very smart, cheerful person’

My son was a very intelligent boy, and I had high hopes for his bright future, but all that has come to an end with his death," said inconsolable Sanjay Nerkar, father of 23-year-old Varad, who was found dead in an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi hostel room on Thursday night. Expressing his grief, Nerkar asserted that he would delve deep into what drove him to take such a drastic step. "He was a very smart and cheerful person," he said.

Varad - who hailed from Hanuman Wadi in Nashik - had been pursuing M-Tech in Polymer Science & Technology since July 2022. Recalling the events leading to his son's tragic demise, Nerkar said, "It is unbelievable that my son took his own life. We spoke to him around 8.30 am. He usually talks to us before having breakfast. After breakfast, he went to his lab. Around 11-11.15 am, he called his mother and mentioned that he was working on a task in the lab but was unable to get results. He had been under a lot of stress for the past one-and-a-half months due to this task." Nerkar added that Varad also mentioned that his guide scolded him on Wednesday about something and he told his mother that it was becoming frustrating for him. "My wife pacified him and told him to try again before ending the call."

Concerned about their son's wellbeing, Varad's parents attempted to reach him in the evening, but their calls went unanswered. They assumed he might be occupied in the lab. Later at night, they tried calling him again. "After several unanswered calls, we contacted his friend Vishal and asked him to check on Varad. He wasn't in the lab, so they went to the hostel. The door was locked from inside, and despite repeated knocking, nobody responded. Vishal and some other students, with the help of security guards, broke open the door and found my son dead."

It is suspected that Varad died by suicide after hanging himself and the police are investigating the matter. Nerkar - a senior clerk with Nasik Municipal Corporation - reached the IIT Delhi campus on Friday and even recorded his statement with the police.

Meanwhile, a senior official from IIT Delhi remarked, "The incident is shocking and deeply saddening. Varad was a high-performing student with an excellent CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average). Being in his final year of M-Tech and having secured a placement, the tragedy of his passing is even more poignant. He never approached anybody in the institute about being stressed or any other issues bothering him."

Varad's father further stated that Varad never had any issues with his studies; he scored 96 per cent in his Class X board exams. "If he faced any difficulties, it was the responsibility of teachers/guides to support and help him instead of scolding or criticising him. As a father who lost a young son, I just want to say that instead of making students nervous, teachers must guide and assist them if they find something challenging," he added.

Varad's brother Atharva is a B-Tech student studying in Maharashtra. The Nerkar family belongs to the OBC caste, leading many on social media to speculate whether his death was related to caste issues. However, his father mentioned nothing about him being targeted over caste. IIT Delhi has witnessed at least four deaths in the past year, two of which occurred within a two-month timeframe. Ayush Ashna from Bareilly took his own life on July 10 last year, followed closely by the passing of another student, Anil Kumar, in Vindhyachal Hostel.

Feb 17
Day Varad was found dead in hostel room