IIT Bombay student suicide: professor booked, father alleges caste harassment

The case has taken a serious turn after Sahil Wakode, a second-year B.Tech student at IIT Bombay in Mumbai, died. Acting on a complaint from Sahil's father, police have booked professor Suryanarayan Dulla on charges of abetment of suicide. Provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have also been invoked in the case. The investigation has now been handed over to the Mumbai crime branch.

In his complaint, the father said his son had been harassed on the basis of his caste for the past few months. He has also alleged that the professor used casteist slurs. The complaint names IIT Bombay director Shirish B. Kedare along with some other professors and senior officials. However, these allegations are currently part of the investigation and are being examined separately.

Sahil had sat for an exam a few hours before he died. IIT Bombay has said a mobile phone was found with him during the exam. According to the institute, it was found that he had attempted to upload the question paper to ChatGPT to get answers. However, IIT has claimed that no formal disciplinary action was initiated against Sahil over the incident. The institute clarified that instructors and the head of department had counselled him and told him the incident would not affect his academics.

Sahil's family, however, has questioned the institute's version of events. According to the family's allegations, Sahil had been under mental distress for a long time. Police are questioning multiple sides to verify how true these allegations are. IIT Bombay director Shirish Kedare has denied that caste discrimination takes place at the institute.

Sahil's death has also revived debate around student mental stress on IIT campuses. According to figures independently compiled by the Global IIT Alumni Support Group, at least 160 student deaths by suicide have been recorded across the IIT system over the past two decades. The group has clarified that this is not an official government or comprehensive figure but an independent compilation.

The police investigation into the Sahil Wakode case is expected to establish the exact causes and how much truth there is in the allegations made in the complaint. The case's further investigation and findings are being closely watched.