IIT Bombay Suicide Case: The case of the death of Sahil Wakode, a B.Tech student at IIT Bombay, has taken a new turn. The institute has suspended Professor Suryanarayan Dulla from the post of Dean. Dulla's name is also included in the FIR registered on the complaint of Sahil's family. The family has accused him of caste discrimination and mental torture. Mumbai Police is investigating the matter.
IIT expressed regret on old statement
Read :- Student hangs himself in IIT Bombay: More than 400 students protest, exams postponed, third case of suicide in the campus this year.
Amidst the controversy, IIT Bombay has also apologized for its initial statement issued after Sahil's death. The institute acknowledged that it was not appropriate to say anything conclusive regarding the circumstances of the incident before the investigation was completed. The move comes after protests by students on campus and talks with the administration. In Sahil's case, IIT Bombay had informed on September 19 that he was caught using mobile phone during mid-semester examination. According to the institute, he had uploaded the question paper on ChatGPT to get answers to the exam questions. The IIT had also said that no immediate disciplinary action was initiated against him and it was explained to him that the incident would not have any impact on his academic career.
Investigation into allegations, questions raised on campus
Following the complaint by Sahil's parents, a case has been registered against Professor Dulla under sections of abetment to suicide and SC-ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. However, the allegations of caste discrimination were earlier rejected by IIT Bombay. Now the police investigation is looking into the allegations made in the complaint and the events before Sahil's death.
After Sahil's death, the discussion regarding mental pressure and institutional arrangements of students in IIT campuses has again intensified. According to data from the Global IIT Alumni Support Group, at least 160 suicides of IIT students have been recorded in the last nearly two decades. This is independently collected data, not official government aggregate data.