'Sahil told us he was facing casteism': Parents demand arrest of IIT-B Professor Doolla, Director Kedare
The parents of deceased IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode alleged that he had told them about caste-based discrimination and urged authorities to ensure justice and take action against the professor named in the FIR.
by Zee Media Bureau · Zee NewsThe parents of 22-year-old IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, who was found dead in his hostel room on September 18, said on Tuesday that he had previously told them about alleged caste-based discrimination by the professor who has now been named in the FIR registered in connection with his death.
"I told him it's difficult to secure admission in IIT, and told him to bear it," said the father, Ravindra Wakode.
"We offered him moral support. That was a mistake on our part. I earnestly request you to ensure my child gets justice," the mother, Sonali Wakode, said, demanding the immediate arrest of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla.
"My request to everyone is to complete the investigation as soon as possible and arrest those who are involved, namely Shireesh Kedare and Suryanarayana Doolla. He was a smart student. Cracking the IIT Advanced exam is not a trivial matter. You can look at his All India rank. They will accuse him of anything wrong; they will say that he cheated. My request is to arrest them. He was suffering. I explained to him that my son should tolerate IIT a little, and after this, his whole life would be good. I made a mistake by telling him this," Sahil's father said.
According to IIT Bombay officials, Sahil was caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination. In its initial statement, the institute said he had allegedly uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers and clarified that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him. The institute later apologised for the statements.
In its statement Institute said, "The details and circumstances leading up to the incident remain subject to investigation by the appropriate authorities. In view of the ongoing investigation, it was inappropriate to have set out or characterised details relating to the events preceding his demise before they had been duly established through the appropriate investigative process."
Doolla was serving as the invigilator during the examination when Sahil was allegedly caught using a mobile phone. The institute’s faculty forum has expressed support for Doolla. Sahil, a student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at the premier institute, was later found dead in his room at Hostel Number 4 on the IIT Bombay campus in Powai, Mumbai, last Friday.
Professor Doolla has been named in the First Information Report filed by the Mumbai Police following a complaint filed by Wakode’s parents.
Authorities have booked a case of abetment to suicide and applied sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act after the family alleged caste-based harassment. The probe has now been handed over to the Mumbai Crime Branch.
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