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EYE ON INDIA OCTOBER 02, 2026 | The Indian Eye 6

IIT Bombay Suicide Case

Puts Campus Culture,

Accountability Under Scrutiny

The death of 20-year-old IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode has triggered

a wider investigation and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes seeking an impartial

probe into allegations of harassment and caste-based discrimination.

OUR BUREAU ments of the concerned faculty members and stu-
dents and submit an Action Taken Report to the
Mumbai
Commission.
he investigation into the death by suicide The student’s family has also approached the
of IIT Bombay student Sahil Ravindra Wa- Commission with a written complaint seeking in-
Tkode has widened, with the Mumbai Crime tervention. The NCSC said it would monitor the
Branch recording statements from students, faculty Crime Branch investigation in the context of consti-
and staff members while the National Commission tutional safeguards available to Scheduled Castes.
for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has conducted a de- The case has also drawn the attention of Union
tailed inquiry at the premier institute. Minister Ramdas Athawale, who on Friday called
Wakode, a 20-year-old second-year B.Tech for an independent investigation. Athawale said he
student from the Department of Energy Science had met the IIT Bombay Director and other senior
and Engineering, died by suicide on September officials and would write to Union Education Min-
18. His family has raised allegations of harassment ister Pralhad Joshi seeking his intervention.
and caste-based discrimination in connection with Athawale raised questions about the circum-
the circumstances preceding his death. The allega- stances faced by Scheduled Caste students at the
tions are being investigated by the Mumbai Police institution, referring to what he described as multi-
Crime Branch. ple student suicides at IIT Bombay in recent years.
According to sources, the Crime Branch has He said an independent investigation was neces-
so far recorded the statements of around 20 peo- sary to establish the facts and determine whether
ple, including students and staff members of IIT discrimination had played any role.
Bombay. Investigators have questioned students The sequence of events surrounding the exam-
who were present in the examination hall on the ination is therefore likely to remain an important
day of the incident as well as teachers supervising Parents of 22-year-old Sahil Wakode, a second-year B.Tech part of the investigation. Establishing what hap-
the examination. pened inside the examination hall, what commu-
Statements of hostel staff members have also student at IIT Bombay, arrive at the Powai Police Station nications followed, and what occurred during the
been recorded as investigators seek to reconstruct following his tragic death by suicide, in Mumbai (ANI Photo) student’s final hours will be crucial to determining
Wakode’s movements and circumstances before the circumstances of his death.
his death. mission sought a detailed account of the events IIT Bombay has also issued a formal apology
A key part of the investigation is the student’s leading up to the student’s death and examined the regarding statements made in an earlier communi-
mobile phone. Investigators have secured the de- institutional mechanisms available for addressing cation concerning the circumstances surrounding
vice, but it remains protected by a pattern lock. As student grievances and protecting students belong- Wakode’s death.
a result, police have so far been unable to deter- ing to Scheduled Castes. The institute has maintained that the exam-
mine whom Wakode had called or who had con- The NCSC team also inspected the Depart- ination-related incident is being investigated,
tacted him. Several missed-call notifications were ment of Energy Science and Engineering and while the police inquiry continues independently.
reportedly visible on the phone, but investigators Wakode’s hostel room. Makwana interacted with At this stage, allegations of caste-based discrimina-
have not yet been able to retrieve substantial infor- classmates to gather information about the stu- tion and harassment remain allegations raised by
mation from the device. dent’s experience on campus and the atmosphere the family and are subject to investigation.
The circumstances surrounding an examina- in the period preceding his death. The case has consequently brought together
tion on September 18 have also emerged as a ma- The Commission subsequently held a review multiple institutions — the Mumbai Crime Branch,
jor focus of the inquiry. The NCSC, during its spot meeting with senior police officials, including the IIT Bombay, the NCSC and the Union govern-
investigation, examined the examination room Director General of Police, Mumbai Police Com- ment — as authorities seek to establish the facts.
where the alleged incident occurred and sought missioner and Crime Branch officers. Makwana For investigators, the immediate challenge is
details of the procedures followed after Wakode called for an impartial and thorough investigation to piece together evidence from statements, elec-
was allegedly accused of academic malpractice. into all allegations. tronic devices, CCTV footage and institutional re-
NCSC Chairman Kishor Makwana visited IIT The NCSC also directed investigators to pre- cords. For Wakode’s family, the demand remains
Bombay and held discussions with senior adminis- serve forensic, documentary and testimonial evi- for clarity about what happened to their son and
trative officials, including the Director, Deputy Di- dence, including electronic communications and whether any circumstances surrounding his exam-
rector, Registrar and faculty members. The Com- CCTV footage. It asked the police to record state- ination contributed to his death.

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