Two women commit suicide at IIT Madras, police hints at family feud

Two women, a research scholar and the wife of a professor, allegedly committed suicide in two separate incidents in their rooms at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, campus on Wednesday.

The victims have been identified as P Maheshwari, 34, and 47-year-old G Vijayalakshmi.

According to the police, even as the staff and students could come to terms with the suicide of Vijayalakshmi, who was found hanging, the news of another student committing suicide broke out.

Vijayalakshmi's husband Ganesan is an assistant professor of physics and the family resides at warden quarters on the campus, the police said.

Maheshwari, who was staying at room number 814 of Sabarmathi Hostel, was pursuing a post doctoral fellowship course in chemistry and was found hanging in her room around 5 pm by her hostel mates, the police said.

Maheshwari, a married woman, is a native of Puducherry and has a six-year-old son.

The police sources cited family issues as the reason for both suicides.

The Kotturpuram Police have registered a case of suspicious death under CrPC Section 174. The bodies were moved to the Government Royapettah Hospital for autopsy.

Meanwhile, IIT-Madras in a statement expressed deep sadness over the death of a post-doctoral research scholar within the campus.

"The scholar's family has been informed. The institute is taking necessary action and is extending full cooperation to the civil authorities," the statement read.

"The institute extends its deep felt condolences to the family and the near and dear ones of the scholar for the unfortunate, untimely and devastating loss," it added.