started · updated
IIT Bombay investigates student suicide amid caste discrimination allegations
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is investigating the death of Sahil Wakode, a 22-year-old B.Tech student at IIT Bombay who died by suicide on September 18. The investigation has involved recording statements from approximately 20 individuals, including students, faculty, and hostel staff.
Investigators are currently facing challenges accessing data from Wakode's iPhone 17 due to a pattern lock. Forensic experts are working to bypass the security to retrieve information regarding his activities during a mid-semester examination and the period following his departure from the exam hall.
Wakode's parents, Ravindra and Sonali, have alleged that their son faced caste-based discrimination and harassment at the institute. They have staged a hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Mumbai to demand justice and the arrest of those responsible. In response to these allegations, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) conducted a spot inquiry at the campus.
Professor Suryanarayana Doolla has been placed on leave following allegations of abetment to suicide and caste discrimination. Additionally, IIT Bombay has issued apologies regarding previous communications that appeared to link the death to an incident involving the alleged use of ChatGPT during an exam. Amid the ongoing controversy, the institute has rescheduled its mid-semester examinations from late September to October 10-11.
Entities
IIT Bombay · Mumbai Police · Mumbai Police Crime Branch · National Commission for Scheduled Castes · Rahul Gandhi · Sahil Wakode · Suryanarayana Doolla · Varsha Gaikwad
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 5 SOURCES] IIT Bombay issued a formal apology regarding previous communications about the circumstances of the student's death. desitalkchicago.com · hindi.asianetnews.com · www.nationalheraldindia.com · theshillongtimes.com · world-today-journal.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Professor Suryanarayana Doolla has been sent on leave following allegations of abetment to suicide and caste discrimination. navbharatlive.com · www.dnpindia.in · www.millenniumpost.in · www.nouvelles-du-monde.com · www.deccanchronicle.com
- [● 14 SOURCES] The parents of Sahil Wakode allege he faced caste-based discrimination and harassment at the institute. navbharatlive.com · desitalkchicago.com · www.dnpindia.in · hindi.asianetnews.com · www.latestly.com · +9 more
- [● 7 SOURCES] Investigators have been unable to access information from the deceased student's mobile phone due to a pattern lock. desitalkchicago.com · hindi.asianetnews.com · www.news18.com · world-today-journal.com · www.bhaskarhindi.com · +2 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] IIT Bombay has rescheduled its mid-semester exams from September 26-27 to October 10-11. theshillongtimes.com · www.dnaindia.com
- [● 20 SOURCES] The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is investigating the death of Sahil Wakode. navbharatlive.com · desitalkchicago.com · www.dnpindia.in · hindi.asianetnews.com · www.latestly.com · +15 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) conducted a spot inquiry at IIT Bombay. desitalkchicago.com · www.dnpindia.in · www.latestly.com · hindi.asianetnews.com · theshillongtimes.com
- [● 7 SOURCES] The Mumbai Crime Branch has recorded statements from 20 people, including students and staff. desitalkchicago.com · hindi.asianetnews.com · www.news18.com · world-today-journal.com · www.bhaskarhindi.com · +2 more