Stories
IIT Bombay Suicide: Father to Launch Protest Demanding Justice for Son's Death
- •Ravindra Wakode, father of deceased IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, will begin a sit-in protest at Azad Maidan, Mumbai, demanding justice for his son.
- •Sahil Wakode, 22, was found dead in his hostel room on September 18 after allegedly being caught using ChatGPT during an exam.
- •Wakode's parents allege caste discrimination at the institute and previously held a hunger strike.
- •The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is investigating the alleged abetment to suicide case, and IIT Bombay has formed a 10-member committee to probe the circumstances.
- •Prof Suryanarayana Doolla, named in the police FIR, has been sent on leave, and students have protested the inquiry committee's composition, demanding its reconstitution.
Key Questions Answered
Sahil Wakode, a 22-year-old student at IIT Bombay, was found hanging in his hostel room on September 18 after being caught using his mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester exam. His parents and student groups alleged caste discrimination and harassment at the institute, prompting widespread protests and hunger strikes demanding justice and accountability.
Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, a faculty member named in the police FIR alleging caste discrimination and abetment to suicide, has been sent on leave to facilitate an impartial investigation. Meanwhile, the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum expressed solidarity with him, stating he was following institute protocols after spotting unauthorised smartphone use.
Students of IIT Bombay held a candlelight march demanding the reconstitution of the 10-member inquiry committee formed to probe Wakode's death. They alleged that certain members of the existing panel had previously expressed support for the accused professor.
