The IIT Bombay authorities and protesting students and parents appear headed for a standoff today over the death by suicide of 22-year-old student, Sahil Ravindra Wakode.
The faculty forum has cited the institute’s prescribed procedure under which the professor reported the incident to the authorities concerned for action.
It said the student was found carrying and using an unauthorised smartphone during the examination.
The forum also expressed grief over the student’s death and sent condolences to the family of the second-year BTech student who was from Maharashtra’s Yavatmal. The protesters and the student’s family, however, have alleged Wakode was subjected to institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination on campus, due to which he died by suicide.
IIT Bombay Administration Engages with Protesting Students
On Sunday night, the administration of IIT Bombay met with students who have been protesting to address their 18 demands. Key among these demands are the inclusion of student representatives in academic committees, an independent investigation into four recent cases of suicide on campus, and the implementation of mental health workshops for faculty members.
In a related development, parents of the affected students have filed a complaint under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, alleging acts of discrimination.
