IIT-K cyber security developer found dead in Kanpur   

A 25-year-old software developer working in the cyber security department of the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) allegedly died by suicide on Monday at his rented accommodation here, police said on Tuesday.

The deceased, identified as Deepak Chowdhary, hailed from Maharashtra and left behind a suicide note apologising to his parents and stating that he felt unable to keep up with advancements in the cyber security field, they said.

Chowdhary had been associated with the institute’s Cyber Security Department for the past two years, IIT-K director Manindra Agarwal told PTI.

“Before the incident, he had spoken to a senior faculty member about his struggles. He was advised to keep working hard and assured he would succeed,” Agarwal added.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Kalyanpur) Ranjeet Kumar said Chowdhary was found hanging from a ceiling fan with a plastic rope.

A handwritten suicide note found in his diary stated, “I don’t drink or do anything wrong. Mom, Dad, please forgive me.”

According to police, Chowdhary appeared cheerful on Sunday night, dining and chatting with friends. However, on Monday, when he did not respond to repeated calls and knocks, his friends alerted the police.

They peeped inside through a window and saw his body hanging. A forensic team later broke open the door, collected evidence, and sealed the room after completing formalities.

The body was sent for postmortem, and the family has been informed.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Dinesh Tripathi said an investigation is underway, but no foul play has been suspected so far.