- Ravindra Wakode begins hunger strike seeking justice for son.
- Sahil Wakode died; parents allege caste discrimination at institute.
- Police probe abetment; professor sent on leave from IIT.
- Students demand transparent investigation and committee reconstitution.
Ravindra Wakode, father of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode who allegedly died by suicide, will begin a hunger strike at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan from Monday, demanding justice for his son.
Wakode, who had staged a hunger strike at the protest site last week, received permission from the Azad Maidan police station to hold the protest. He is scheduled to begin the fast at 10 am.
Wakode said he would continue the hunger strike until those responsible for his son’s death are arrested and the professor concerned is suspended and faces action.
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‘I Will Continue My Fight For Justice’
“I do not care, even if I get arrested. My son should get justice constitutionally. This is the state of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Phule, Shahu and Ambedkar. I will start my sit-in protest at Azad Maidan. I will continue my fight for justice,” Wakode told a regional news channel on Sunday.
Sahil Wakode, 22, was a second-year student at IIT Bombay. He was found hanging in his hostel room on the evening of September 18, hours after he was allegedly caught using his mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.
His parents have alleged that Sahil faced caste discrimination at the institute. The family had staged a hunger strike at Azad Maidan on Thursday, seeking action in connection with his death.
Crime Branch Probes Abetment Case
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is investigating the alleged abetment-to-suicide case. The board of IIT Bombay has also constituted a 10-member committee to examine the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s alleged suicide.
Prof Suryanarayana Doolla, a faculty member named in the police FIR alleging caste discrimination and abetment to suicide, has already been sent on leave to facilitate an impartial probe.
The development comes amid continuing demands from students for a transparent investigation. On Friday night, IIT Bombay students held a candlelight march seeking the reconstitution of the committee probing Wakode’s death.
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Students Demand Transparent Probe
The students alleged that some members of the existing inquiry panel had expressed support for Prof Doolla. They have called for the panel to be reconstituted.
Students’ unions from other premier institutes have also extended support to the Wakode family and demanded a transparent investigation and action against those responsible for his death.
Wakode has said he will continue his hunger strike until those responsible are arrested and action is taken against the professor concerned.
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