Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 24: The parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, whose death has triggered allegations of caste discrimination, began a hunger strike at Azad Maidan on Thursday, seeking action against those they hold responsible for their son's death.

Ravindra and Sonali Wakode had earlier met the chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes in Mumbai and submitted a memorandum seeking a speedy investigation into their son's death.

“Those who tortured my son should be put behind bars. He had told us that he repeatedly faced caste discrimination at the institute,” Ravindra said.

Sahil, 22, a second-year BTech student at IIT Bombay, was found dead in his hostel room on the evening of September 18. His death is being investigated by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch. A faculty member, Suryanarayana Doolla, has been named in an FIR alleging abetment to suicide on grounds of caste discrimination and has been sent on leave amid the probe.

Meanwhile, IIT Bombay has postponed its mid-semester examinations scheduled for September 26 and 27 to October 10 and 11, with the same timetable. The decision comes amid protests on the campus following Sahil's death.

The institute has also reissued an apology over an earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding Sahil's death. IIT Bombay said the details leading up to the incident remained subject to investigation and that it was inappropriate to characterise events preceding his death before they had been established through the appropriate investigative process.

The earlier communication had referred to Sahil allegedly being caught using ChatGPT during an examination before his death. The institute subsequently said that the circumstances remained under investigation.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also spoken to Sahil's parents and assured them of support in their pursuit of justice, according to party sources. Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad said Gandhi made a video call to the family while they were travelling from Washim district to Mumbai and spoke to them for nearly 17 minutes.

Gaikwad, along with Congress workers and members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), gathered outside IIT Bombay's Powai campus on Thursday to express solidarity with Sahil's family. Police detained Congress workers before the protest could begin and later took Gaikwad into custody when she reached the spot.

Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib demanded the arrest of the IIT Bombay director and another professor. Gaikwad called for a comprehensive investigation into Sahil's death and alleged that students belonging to particular caste or religious communities faced humiliation and difficulties.

Gaikwad described Sahil's death as an “institutional murder” and alleged that the BJP and RSS had damaged the education system. These were political allegations made during the protest and have not been established by the ongoing investigation.

Some television channels have aired CCTV footage from the examination hall showing Sahil's movements before a professor approached him and took him away from the examination hall after he was allegedly caught copying. There has been no public confirmation from police regarding the significance of the footage.

Meanwhile, an email purportedly sent by Professor Doolla in 2024, when he was Dean of Student Affairs, has circulated on social media. In the email, Doolla cautioned students against asking fellow students about their admission categories, JEE (Advanced) ranks or GATE scores, saying such questions could reveal their caste or whether they belonged to a reserved category.

The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is continuing its investigation into Sahil's death. The allegations of caste discrimination and the circumstances preceding his death remain subject to the ongoing probe.