IIT Bombay student death case: Parents insist on protesting outside campus gate

The parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode have insisted on holding their protest outside the institute’s main gate, despite Mumbai Police directing them to shift the demonstration to Azad Maidan.

Sahil, a second-year BTech student, died by suicide on Sep 18, hours after an incident during a mid-semester examination. His parents have demanded action in connection with his death and have alleged that he faced caste-based harassment on campus. The allegations are being investigated and have not been established.

Sahil’s parents have demanded action against Professor Suryanarayana Doolla and IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare. His father has also threatened an indefinite hunger strike if arrests are not made in the case.

Mumbai Police registered an FIR following the family’s complaint, invoking provisions related to abetment of suicide and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The investigation was later transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch.

IIT Bombay has denied caste-based discrimination and said Sahil had not submitted a complaint regarding caste discrimination to its SC/ST cell or administration.

Probe examines events before death

The Crime Branch is examining CCTV footage from the examination hall, campus and hostel, along with statements and other evidence, to establish the sequence of events before Sahil’s death.

IIT Bombay had initially said Sahil was found using a mobile phone during the examination and had allegedly uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers.

The institute later apologised for its communication, saying it was inappropriate to characterise the circumstances surrounding his death before the investigation had established the facts.

Fresh CCTV footage from the examination hall shows Sahil being questioned during the examination and subsequently leaving the hall between around 12:30 pm and 12:45 pm, according to India Today.

IIT Bombay sets up 10-member panel

The IIT Bombay Board of Governors has constituted a 10-member panel to examine the circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death. The panel is headed by Professor Ramesh Venkateswaran, chairman of the Board of Governors at IIT Palakkad, and includes faculty members, students, an administrator, a former vigilance officer and a psychiatrist.

The panel has been given a week to submit its findings and will examine the circumstances leading to the incident as well as concerns raised by Sahil’s parents, including their allegations of caste-based remarks.

Professor Doolla, who was the invigilator during the examination, has been sent on leave amid the investigation. He was earlier removed from his administrative position following protests on campus.

Sahil’s death led to protests by IIT Bombay students, who have demanded an independent investigation, greater transparency in disciplinary proceedings and changes to student welfare mechanisms.

The students submitted an 18-point charter of demands, covering areas including disciplinary procedures, student representation, counselling and mental-health services, faculty sensitisation and the functioning of student welfare mechanisms. IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare signed the charter after the protests.

Meanwhile, the institute has postponed its mid-semester examinations scheduled for Sep 26 and 27 to Oct 10 and 11. The examination timetable remains unchanged apart from the revised dates.

The family’s proposed protest outside IIT Bombay and the ongoing campus demonstrations come as the Mumbai Crime Branch and the institute’s internal panel continue their separate inquiries into the circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death.