A postgraduate student of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB) was found dead on campus on January 4. The student, identified as Nilay Kailashbhai Patel from Gujarat, is believed to have accidentally fallen from the third floor of his hostel accommodation. Nilay, a student of the Postgraduate Program in Management (2023-25), had been residing on campus since 2023.
Police investigations suggest that Nilay had been celebrating his birthday and went out to party with friends before returning to campus. The incident occurred when he was visiting a friend’s room, where he allegedly lost his balance and slipped from the third floor. A security guard discovered him lying on the ground in a pool of blood and alerted the administration. Nilay was taken to a hospital but succumbed to injuries.
The Mico Layout Police have registered an Unnatural Death Report (UDR) and the body has been sent for postmortem.
Nilay had recently secured a placement with a fashion e-commerce company and was due to start work on Monday, January 6. In a statement, IIMB expressed its condolences, saying, “It is with profound sadness that IIM Bangalore shares the news of the untimely passing of our PGP 2023-25 student, Nilay Kailashbhai Patel. A bright student, and a much loved friend to many, Nilay will be sorely missed by the entire IIMB family.”
The All-India OBC Students Association has demanded clarity from IIMB regarding Nilay’s death and criticised the institution’s lack of robust mechanisms to address the concerns of marginalised communities.
According to The Telegraph, IIMB Director Rishikesha T Krishnan addressed the faculty through a letter following the incident. "The students spend about Rs 30 lakh in two years for their study and stay. Only a few receive scholarships and fee waivers; many among the rest are under stress. The institution often worsens the stress by punishing them for minor mistakes. A student who is late to class by one minute may have their grade lowered," the letter said. The director said that a stress release session would be held soon.