IIT Kharagpur student Faizan Ahmed found dead in hostel was shot, stabbed: Report

23-year-old Faizan Ahmed, a student at IIT Kharagpur who was found dead in his hostel room October 14, 2022, was allegedly murdered as per recent reports.

A bullet wound and a stab wound were found on the deceased's neck, The Indian Express reported referring to a forensic report based on a second autopsy of the body conducted on Calcutta High Court’s order.

While the report filed by Dr A K Gupta showed signs of wound on both sides of his neck, these injuries remained undocumented in the initial investigation, neither were they filmed during the first autopsy. The final report is expected to be filed next week when the high court will take up the matter for hearing again, as per the publication.

Following the death of his son, the third-year student’s father had moved the HC seeking formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the death of his son after his body was found in his hostel room on October 14, 2022.

In its June 2023 hearing, the Calcutta High Court, which had ordered exhumation and second post mortem of the body of Faizan Ahmed, said it was surprised that the first autopsy missed the injury marks on the back of his head.

In his report, the forensic expert who conducted the second post mortem on May 27 said, "23-year-old Faizan’s death was due to profuse bleeding causing hemorrhagic shock and combined effect infused over chest and over head."

"Manner of death of Faizan was ante mortem injuries. Homicidal in nature," the report said.

Expressing surprise that the first post mortem missed out this vital aspect, Justice Rajasekhar Mantha in June 2023 had ordered the director of Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL), Rajarhat, to inquire into the circumstances under which the omission occurred.

Observing that "There are serious questions that need to be addressed by police and the IO (investigating officer)," the court had said the matter now becomes a likely murder investigation.

In his report, the forensic expert who conducted the second post mortem on May 27 last year had said, "23-year-old Faizan’s death was due to profuse bleeding causing hemorrhagic shock and combined effect infused over chest and over head.

"Manner of death of Faizan was ante mortem injuries. Homicidal in nature," the report said.

However, ADG K Jayaraman, the head of the SIT probe in the matter told IE that no clues have indicated a homicide.

“We have submitted our findings of the investigation in the High Court. You may see. We have not found any clue on homicide.” He refused to elaborate, saying the matter is sub judice.

Meanwhile, the autopsy conducted by Dr Gupta ruled out poisoning and revealed that the right temporal bone of Ahmed’s skull was missing.

“Without investigation, police tried to turn it into a suicide case, and till date the investigation is being done on the basis of the first post-mortem, even though the court had directed police not to do so,” the publication quoted the family lawyer as saying.

The lawyer also pointed out that there was no CCTV cameral in the corridor and that no action had been taken against ragging despite the mail sent by the youth.

Taking a stern view of the allegations, the court in November 2022 had directed that the students involved in the “ragging” be named by the director in his report and asked the authorities of the country's first IIT to "extend all cooperation" to the police in the investigation into the death of the third year student.

"This court is interested to know as to what steps have been taken by the said wardens and the Management of the IIT, Kharagpur after receipt of information of what appears to this court to be a clear case of 'ragging'," Justice Rajasekhar Mantha had said.

(With PTI inputs)