Tragedy struck as Sameer Khandekar, the Dean of Student Affairs and Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department at IIT Kanpur, collapsed and passed away while delivering a speech, according to various reports. The incident occurred during an alumni meet on health in the institute's auditorium.
Witnesses reported that Professor Khandekar stumbled and fell while addressing the audience, with his final words urging others to "Take care of your health." His voice had reportedly wavered, and he exhibited signs of profuse sweating before collapsing on stage.
Initially, some believed he might have taken a seat on the dais due to overwhelming emotion, but when he showed no signs of movement, he was swiftly taken to the cardiology institute. Unfortunately, he was declared dead upon arrival.
Professor Khandekar, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur, had faced health challenges related to cholesterol in 2019 and had been undergoing treatment since then.
The alumni meet, attended by distinguished personalities such as physicist Padma Shri awardee Prof Harish Chandra Varma, was marked by the untimely collapse of Professor Khandekar at around 6 PM while passionately addressing the audience.
