“Can’t forget those screams”: TISS passout killed in Delhi hotel fire tragedy

3 min readMumbaiJun 4, 2026 07:59 PM IST

Originally from Bokaro in Jharkhand, Shrutika came from a middle-class family and her friends said she joined TISS with hopes of good placement. (Special Arrangement, enhanced using AI)

Among the 21 people killed in the devastating fire at a Delhi hotel was Shrutika Baranwal, a recent graduate of Mumbai’s Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS). Having completed her Master’s degree in Water Policy and Governance this year, Baranwal travelled to the national capital to complete formalities for a job secured through campus placement.

According to her friends, after three days of the joining formalities, Shrutika was to return to Mumbai, where she was to begin work.

Aman Singh, Shrutika’s friend and batchmate, was on a call with her when tragedy struck. “I cannot forget those screams, although it was only for a couple of seconds and I lost contact with her. When I was unable to reconnect the call, I spoke to a friend who knew where she stayed in Delhi and we contacted the police. Within a few minutes, they called us back and informed us about the fire,” he said. Aman and Shrutika’s other friends informed her family and her cousins in Delhi.

Originally from Bokaro in Jharkhand, Shrutika came from a middle-class family and her friends said she joined TISS with hopes of good placement. Her friends, most of them preparing to begin their professional career, are in shock and recall how excited Shrutika was about her new job.

“We have been in touch with each other to discuss about each other’s jobs and joining, as most of us are scattered across India,” said Karan Kaushal, another batchmate of Shrutika who is from Jharkhand and attended her funeral in Bokaro on Thursday.

Shrutika’s faculty members remember her as a sincere student. A condolence meet was held at TISS on Thursday.

Pranjal Deekshit, chairperson of the TISS Centre for Water Policy and Governance, said, “Shrutika was a very sincere student who would proactively take part in various initiatives. She had secured a placement at the Rubber, Chemical & Polymer Skill Development Centre and was excited. She was doing great work in the area of groundwater preservation. Her Master’s dissertation on shallow aquifer management in Dhanbad was well-appreciated by faculty as well as those working in the field.”

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Eklavya Prasad, managing trustee of the Megh Pyne Abhiyan, an organisation actively working in this sector in Dhanbad, had guided Shrutika for her dissertation. “Her work and involvement in the field work were really commendable. She was not working to tick boxes but with complete interest and purpose, wanting to bring about a change, and with a spark we require in the social sector,” said Prasad.

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Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra.

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