The chairperson of an external committee proposed by IIT Delhi to investigate the death of 31-year-old student Rishikesh Kumar has recused himself, citing prior commitments, according to sources. Former Uttarakhand Director General of Police and IIT Delhi alumnus Ashok Kumar had been named to chair the five-member committee on Tuesday. A new chairperson is expected to be announced soon. The committee was announced by IIT Delhi Director Prof Rangan Banerjee in an email to students after protests over the death. The proposed panel included AIIMS New Delhi psychiatry department head Prof Pratap Sharma, two student representatives, and the institute's Registrar as secretary and convenor. Police have also registered an abetment case in connection with the death, according to the report.