Sahil Wakode Death: IIT Bombay Denies Suspension Threat and Caste Discrimination Allegations
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
IIT Bombay has denied allegations that student Sahil Wakode was threatened with suspension or faced caste-based discrimination before his death. The institute reportedly said that no disciplinary action was started against him after he was found using a mobile phone during an examination. The Powai police are investigating the case, and a professor has been named in the FIR.
Wakode, a second-year student of the Energy Science and Engineering department, was found using a phone during an exam on Friday. According to IIT Bombay, he had uploaded the examination paper on ChatGPT to seek answers. The institute said that the student was counselled by the instructor and the department head and was assured that the incident would not affect his academic career. Later, he was found dead in his hostel room.
Police Investigation
Powai police have registered an FIR in connection with the student’s death. Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was the invigilator during the examination, has been reportedly named in the FIR along with other officials. The case has also been transferred to the crime branch for investigation. Police are looking into the events that happened before the student’s death.
His family also alleged caste-based harassment. IIT Bombay has reportedly rejected these allegations and said there was no caste-based discrimination in the case. The institute’s SC/ST cell also said it had not received any complaint from Wakode about caste discrimination.
Student Protests
The student’s death led to protests on the IIT Bombay campus, with hundreds of students gathering to express their concerns. The institute postponed the mid-semester examinations scheduled for Saturday. The incident has reportedly raised questions about how the matter was handled, while the police investigation is still continuing.
IIT Bombay has reportedly said it will fully cooperate with the authorities and has asked people not to speculate while the investigation is going on. The police inquiry is expected to establish what happened after the student was found using the phone and whether any action or harassment took place before his death.
