IITian gets trolled for using death in IIT to talk about his startup: 'Can't even let him rest in peace'

Economic Times

7 hours ago

Synopsis
An IIT Bombay graduate is facing criticism. His LinkedIn post about a student's death sparked controversy. The post mourned Rohit Sinha's death. It then promoted the founder's recruitment startup. Reddit users accused him of insensitivity. They felt he exploited the tragedy for business. Rohit Sinha, a final-year student, allegedly died by suicide.
Agencies An IITian recently received backlash from Reddit for using a fellow IITian's death to promote his company. An entrepreneur, who graduated from IIT Bombay, has found himself at the centre of a storm on the Reddit forum LinkedIn Lunatics for an emotionally charged tribute post that many accused of being self-promotional. The founder, who helms a recruitment startup, took to LinkedIn to mourn the death of Rohit Sinha, a fourth-year student from IIT Bombay, who died at the age of 22. While his message began with sorrow, it quickly shifted focus to his company and its mission to support students in securing employment—drawing ire from netizens who felt it was an insensitive pivot.
The alumnus opened his post by expressing grief over the passing of Sinha, who was a student of metallurgical engineering at IIT Bombay. The student reportedly died by suicide at Hostel 17 (H17) on campus. Although the specific cause behind the incident has yet to be determined, the entrepreneur noted how the tragedy hit close to home, emphasizing shared experiences within the same institution.He reflected on the high-pressure environment in elite academic spaces, particularly concerning internships and job placements. He described how the intensity and isolation that come with such expectations had once affected him deeply too. It was from that difficult emotional terrain, he claimed, that his recruitment startup was born—to offer support and job pathways for students navigating similar stress.In his closing lines, he encouraged struggling students to speak to friends or family and to seek help if burdened by academic or placement-related anxiety. He emphasized that life is valuable and that his platform is open for outreach.Reddit users did not take kindly to the post. Comments on the LinkedIn Lunatics subreddit skewered the founder for what many saw as an opportunistic move. One sarcastically paraphrased the tone as, 'Rest in peace, dead guy. Now let me tell you about my startup.' Another mocked the shift in narrative with, 'Let's centre this tragedy around me.'Another quipped, "Can't even let him rest in peace."Some compared the tone of the post to exploitative advertising, with one user imagining a commercial message wrapped in grief—likening it to someone announcing a child's death followed by a diaper discount promo. Another respondent commented bitterly that the deceased student likely would not have appreciated his memory being used as a segue to market a business.Rohit Sinha was a final-year student in the Meta Science department at IIT Bombay and hailed from Delhi. As per a statement from the Mumbai Police, Sinha allegedly jumped from the rooftop of his hostel building. He was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. Authorities confirmed he had recently completed his BTech degree and was awaiting job placement. No suicide note was found at the scene.
This tragic loss has reignited conversations around mental health, pressure in academic institutions, and the responsibilities of public figures when speaking about sensitive issues.