IIT Bombay suicide: Family alleges police tried to relocate them
What's the story
The family of Sahil Wakode, an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay student who died by suicide, has alleged that Mumbai Police attempted to forcibly take them out of the city. Their lawyer Nikhil Kamble claimed that Ravindra and Sonali Wakode were taken in a private vehicle against their wishes. "Wakode planned to remain in the city. But despite their plan, the police tried to forcibly take them out of Mumbai," IE quoted Kamble as saying.
Police response
Police deny allegations
He claimed that the couple were traveling in their own vehicle when they were asked by police personnel in plain clothes to shift to another car.
"They were told by the official that he was taking them home," he alleged.
A Mumbai Police officer has refuted the allegations, saying that the Wakodes themselves wanted to go to Yavatmal.
Officer
'They told us they wanted to be taken to Yavatmal'
The officer said after addressing the media near the Crime Branch office in Bandra, they expressed a desire to go to IIT Bombay in Powai.
"They told us that they wanted to be taken to Yavatmal and hence we organized the same," the officer said, also refuting the claims that the couple was taken out of Mumbai because the father had threatened to stage a hunger strike.
Justice demand
Wakodes demand arrest of IIT Bombay officials
The Wakode family has been demanding justice for their son Sahil, who died by suicide on September 18.
They alleged caste-based discrimination on campus and demanded the arrest of IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare and Professor Suryanarayana Doolla.
Ravindra had threatened a hunger strike from Wednesday if no arrests were made by Tuesday night.
"We are only urging that the people responsible for my son's death be arrested immediately," he said.
Ongoing protests
Professor at center of row sent on leave
The professor at the center of the row, Suryanarayana Doolla, has been sent on leave, and the institute has set up a 10-member panel to examine the circumstances surrounding the death by suicide of Sahil.
The panel, headed by Professor Ramesh Venkateswaran, Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIT Palakkad, will investigate the circumstances leading to the death and submit its report within a week.
Ongoing investigation
CCTV shows student being stopped
Meanwhile, CCTV footage from the exam hall has emerged, showing Dolla pulling aside Sahil last Friday.
Wakode, dressed in a black t-shirt, is seen seated in the first row when the invigilator approaches and speaks with him.
The CCTV tape shows him getting up from the seat briefly, sitting back, and then handing up his mobile phone to the invigilator.
It was alleged that he was using a mobile phone to upload the question paper on ChatGPT for answers.