2 hrs ago
Father alleges caste harassment after IIT Bombay student's death
Sahil Ravindra Wakode was a 22-year-old student at IIT Bombay.
He was found dead in his hostel room after an examination incident.
His father says a professor and college officials repeatedly mocked Sahil because of his caste and treated him unfairly.
The father believes these actions may have contributed to Sahil’s death.
Police have opened a case and named a professor as an accused.
The Crime Branch is investigating what happened.
IIT Bombay removed Prof Suryanarayana Doolla from his student-affairs leadership position and apologized for making early statements about the incident.
Students are asking the institute to improve its handling of discrimination, mental health and student welfare.
Sahil Ravindra Wakode, 22, was found dead in his IIT Bombay hostel room after allegedly being caught using a phone during an examination.
His father alleged that a professor and institute administrators subjected Sahil to caste-based mocking, torture and false accusations.
Police registered an FIR alleging abetment of suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The Crime Branch is investigating, while IIT Bombay removed Prof Suryanarayana Doolla as dean of student affairs.
The institute apologized for characterizing events before investigators had established the circumstances, amid continuing student protests.
- Who
- Sahil Ravindra Wakode, his family, IIT Bombay officials, a professor named in the FIR, police and protesting students.
- What
- A student death has prompted allegations of caste-based harassment, a police investigation, an FIR and administrative action at IIT Bombay.
- Where
- Sahil was found in his hostel room on IIT Bombay's Powai campus in Mumbai; his last rites were held in Yavatmal.
- When
- Sahil was found dead on Friday evening; the FIR was registered on Saturday, and IIT Bombay announced the dean's removal on Monday.
- Why
- His father alleges that caste-based mocking, torture and false accusations by a professor and administrators contributed to his death; the allegations remain under investigation.
Family and Student Critics
Institute and Other Accounts
Cause of Sahil's death
Family and Student Critics
Sahil's father alleges that caste-based mocking, torture and false accusations by a professor and the administration contributed to his death.
Institute and Other Accounts
IIT Bombay said the details and circumstances preceding the death remained subject to investigation and should not have been characterized before being established.
Caste discrimination on campus
Family and Student Critics
The family and student groups allege systemic caste discrimination, inadequate caste sensitization and an ineffective SC/ST Cell.
Institute and Other Accounts
An anonymous student said they had never personally witnessed casteism on campus, while attributing broader student distress to intense academic pressure; this does not resolve the allegations.
Institutional response
Family and Student Critics
Student protesters and alumni say the administration has used punitive measures and issued statements that protected faculty members before a full investigation.
Institute and Other Accounts
IIT Bombay apologized for its earlier communication, removed Prof Suryanarayana Doolla as dean of student affairs and said authorities should establish the facts.
Key facts
- Student
- Sahil Ravindra Wakode, 22, a second-year BTech student in Energy Science and Engineering
- Incident
- He was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his hostel room on Friday evening
- Reported preceding event
- Officials said he had allegedly been caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination
- Police case
- An FIR was registered for alleged abetment of suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act
- Investigation
- The case is being investigated by the Crime Branch
- Administrative action
- Prof Suryanarayana Doolla was removed as dean of student affairs with immediate effect
- Student demands
- Protesters submitted an 18-point charter including student representation, an independent review of four campus suicide deaths and mental-health workshops for professors
Quotes
An anonymous IIT Bombay student
A student who said he lived next door to Wakode
“The details and circumstances leading up to the incident remain subject to investigation by the appropriate authorities. In view of the ongoing investigation, it was inappropriate to have set out or characterised details relating to the events preceding his demise before they had been duly established through the appropriate investigative process.”
telegraphindia.com
“Students face immense academic pressure here, which the management needs to address. However, I personally never witnessed casteism on campus. On the day of the incident, a professor reportedly took Sahil out of the classroom after he was allegedly caught cheating. Something serious must have triggered him to take such an extreme step.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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