Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) The parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, who allegedly died by suicide, remained firm on their demand for the arrest of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla and institute director Shireesh B Kedare as their hunger strike for “justice” entered the third day here on Wednesday.
Some workers of the Mumbai Youth Congress and All India Students’ Federation also joined the protest at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai. They held Sahil’s photograph and raised demands for justice for the 22-year-old student.
While Sahil’s father Ravindra Wakode refused to speak to the media, the family’s lawyer said they had not received any response from the government so far on their demands.
In a related development, a police official said the Mumbai Crime Branch, probing the alleged suicide case, has so far recorded the statements of 40 people, including Sahil Wakode’s parents, fellow students and IIT hostel staff, as part of its investigation.
However, the statement of Professor Doolla, booked for abetment of suicide, was yet to be recorded, he said.
Investigators have sent two mobile phones, a laptop, and a tablet belonging to Sahil Wakode to the Forensic Science Laboratory at Kalina to decode and unlock the electronic devices. Police expect crucial evidence to emerge once the digital contents are retrieved, which could help establish the exact sequence of events leading up to the second-year BTech student’s death.
Sahil Wakode (22) was found hanging in his hostel room on the evening of September 18, hours after being caught while allegedly using his mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.
His parents have alleged caste discrimination against their son at the premier institute and have been demanding the arrest of Professor Doolla and IIT Bombay Director Kedare.
The parents have asserted they would continue their protest until their son gets justice and those responsible for his death are punished.
“Until both the professors are arrested, our hunger strike will continue,” Ravindra Wakode earlier said.
His lawyer said the Azad Maidan police had granted permission for the protest and the family would continue the agitation in accordance with the guidelines communicated by the authorities.
The family reiterated its demand for a fair, impartial and expeditious investigation and appropriate action in accordance with law against all persons found responsible, the lawyer said.
He said that former Maharashtra minister Rajkumar Badole, MLA Amin Patel, Jaideep Kawade and Mahadev Jankar visited the protest site on Wednesday and met Sahil’s parents. They expressed their support and solidarity with the family in connection with its demands and ongoing struggle for justice, he said.
“The continued support from public representatives and leaders has strengthened the family’s resolve to pursue justice for Sahil through lawful and democratic means,” he said.
An FIR was previously registered by the Powai police against Professor Doolla based on a complaint filed by the student’s father.
In his statement to the police, Sahil Wakode’s father alleged that during their last meeting, his son claimed that Professor Doolla had been subjecting him to casteist abuse over the past three months at the instance of IIT B Director Shirish Kedare, and expressed fear of being implicated in a false case.
The Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch has been examining CCTV recordings and other evidence to reconstruct the sequence of events on September 18. Investigators have questioned students, faculty members and administrative staff in an effort to establish what happened after Sahil Wakode left the examination hall.
The IIT Bombay board earlier constituted a 10-member committee to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
On Monday, Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad met the protesting Wakodes at Azad Maidan and extended support to the family. She said the deaths of Sahil and another IIT Bombay student Darshan Solanki in 2023 had raised concerns about student safety and accountability at the institute. PTI ND ZA GK RSY NP
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