The father of IIT Bombay student Sahil Ravindra Wakode, who was found dead in his hostel room, has alleged that a professor subjected his son to “casteist remarks” for three months before his death. Following the complaint, Mumbai Police have invoked the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the case.
Wakode was found dead inside his hostel room on the IIT Bombay campus in Powai on Friday evening.
A senior IIT Bombay official denied allegations of caste-based discrimination at the institute, stating that caste-related details of students are kept completely confidential.
DCP Dutt Nalavade said the complaint filed by Wakode’s father names several people, including Professor Suryanarayana Doolla of the Energy Science department, who was the invigilator during the examination when Wakode was allegedly caught using a mobile phone. He said police would examine the matter from all possible angles.
Police initially registered an accidental death report and said that no suicide note had been recovered.
SAHIL WAS CAUGHT USING CHATGPT DURING EXAM
Wakode's death occurred just hours after he was found using a mobile phone during an examination.
According to IIT Bombay, Wakode had uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT in an attempt to obtain answers. The institute said no disciplinary proceedings had been started against him.
The institute stated that the instructor and Head of Department spoke with Wakode, counselled him and assured him that the incident would not have a negative impact on his academic career.
Wakode subsequently went back to his hostel room. When he failed to respond to calls, his hostel mates alerted the authorities, who then informed the police.
STUDENTS QUESTION IIT BOMBAY'S VERSION
Wakode's death led to protests on the IIT Bombay campus, with students calling for a transparent investigation.
The protesting students alleged that Wakode had been threatened with suspension after being caught using his phone during the examination. They also demanded the resignation of IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare.
IIT Bombay rejected the claim that disciplinary proceedings had been initiated, reiterating that Wakode had been assured that the examination incident would not affect his academic future.
The institute also said it was providing support to Wakode's friends, classmates, faculty members and others affected by his death.
“The circumstances surrounding the death are being looked into by the appropriate authorities,” IIT Bombay said.
