IIT Bombay student death: Rahul Gandhi assures justice to grieving parents

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held a 17-minute video call with the parents of Sahil Wakode, a second-year BTech student at IIT Bombay who was found dead in his hostel room on September 18. Gandhi assured the family of his support in their pursuit of justice.

The death has sparked allegations of caste-based discrimination. Sahil’s parents claim he had previously mentioned facing casteist abuse. Faculty member Suryanarayan Dulla has been named in an FIR for allegedly abetting suicide based on caste discrimination. Dulla was reportedly involved in an incident during a mid-semester exam where Sahil was caught using a mobile phone, allegedly for ChatGPT, and was subsequently led out of the exam hall, as seen in 54-second CCTV footage.

IIT Bombay stated that its SC/ST cell had received no prior complaints from the student. The institute has formed a 10-member committee to investigate the circumstances, while the Mumbai Police Crime Branch is also conducting an inquiry. In response to the incident, Sahil’s parents have announced an indefinite hunger strike in front of the IIT Bombay gate.