India: Depressed because of having COVID-19 symptoms, post-graduate student commits suicide

Depressed because of reportedly having symptoms of coronavirus, a post-graduate student in the Indian city of Bengaluru took his own life on August 18.

Sandeep Kumar, a student at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru was found dead in his room, local police told news outlets.

The police suspect it was a suicide, however, investigations are ongoing.

"Sandeep Kumar committed suicide in his room by hanging. He was under depression that he had symptoms of coronavirus," a police official investigating the case was quoted as saying.

According to the official, the 25-year-old student pursuing his master’s degree from the state of Chhattisgarh had earlier sent text messages about his condition to some of his friends.

The incident came to light when security guards at the institute were asked by staff members to check on Kumar in his room. The room was locked from inside and when the door was forced open, the student was found hanging from a ceiling fan.

Sharing an update about the news, a Twitter user wrote: "Police said. 'Sandeep Kumar committed suicide in his room by hanging. He was under depression that he had symptoms of coronavirus,' - Today in Bengaluru."

The IISc condoled the death of the student and said the mental well-being of its students, faculty and staff was a serious

concern and it has provided facilities and wellness resources for those in need, according to local media reports.

"We express our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the student, who was pursuing an MTech degree at the Department of Computational and Data Sciences," a statement by the institute read.