IIT-Bombay Student Sahil Wakode Dies By Suicide, Parents Allege Caste Discrimination

A day after 20-year-old Sahil Wakode, a second-year reserved category student at IIT-Bombay, died by suicide, his parents alleged that he faced caste-based discrimination.

The institute has denied the allegation, stating that the student never filed such a complaint with either its SC-ST cell or administration.

Following a complaint from Sahil’s father, Ravindra, Mumbai Police registered an FIR on Saturday naming Professor Suryanarayan Doolla, along with others who were not named, under Section 108 of the BNS for abetment to suicide, and relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Sahil Allegedly Caught Using Phone During Exam

Doolla was reportedly the invigilator on duty when Sahil, a student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was allegedly caught using a cellphone during the mid-semester exam on Friday. In a statement, the institute said Sahil had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to obtain answers. Sahil died by suicide hours later.

Although the institute administration stated that no disciplinary action was taken against him, Sahil’s parents claimed that students informed them that he was threatened with suspension.

His father filed an FIR regarding the matter. A police officer said, “He has named several people, and based on his statement, we have registered an abetment to suicide case.”

Father Alleges Caste-Based Discrimination Against Sahil

In his complaint, Ravindra alleged that Doolla had subjected Sahil to caste-based discrimination over the past three months, allegedly at the direction of IIT-Bombay Director Professor Shireesh B Kedare. He said Sahil enrolled at the institute based on his own abilities and that everything went smoothly during his first year. 

According to the FIR, Ravindra alleged that things changed in the second year when Director Shireesh B Kedare allegedly ordered faculty member Suryanarayan Doolla to engage in caste-based discrimination. Ravindra further alleged that Doolla had been making casteist remarks for the past three months and had previously threatened to falsely implicate Sahil.

When contacted for comment, Kedare denied any caste-based discrimination on campus, whether in daily operations or in the way administrators or professors conduct themselves. He said, “In fact, caste-based information for every student is entirely concealed and not accessible to anyone.”

Initially, the family declined to claim the body until action was taken. However, they eventually agreed after Mumbai’s Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Manoj Kumar Sharma, assured them that the case would be transferred to the Crime Branch for a fast-track investigation, and that the accused named in the FIR would be questioned and appropriate action would be taken based on the investigation. The family then carried the body and returned to Yavatmal for the final rituals.

Sahil’s family has also requested the state to oppose any anticipatory bail application filed by the accused and to appoint legal representation for them in both the Sessions Court and the High Court.

Advocate Nikhil Kamble, who was helping the family, claimed that the police took action only after protests by students and parents.

Meanwhile, the students’ protest, sparked by Sahil’s death, grew stronger later Saturday night. Students assembled for a candlelight march and called for Director Shireesh Kedare to resign.