Now Reading: Crime Branch takes over IIT Bombay suicide probe, father alleges casteist remarks
-
01
Crime Branch takes over IIT Bombay suicide probe, father alleges casteist remarks
Crime Branch takes over IIT Bombay suicide probe, father alleges casteist remarks
Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the investigation into the death of Sahil Wakode, a 20-year-old IIT Bombay student who died by suicide on Friday. His father Ravindra has accused professor Suryanarayana…
Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the investigation into the death of Sahil Wakode, a 20-year-old IIT Bombay student who died by suicide on Friday. His father Ravindra has accused professor Suryanarayana Doolla of making casteist remarks and threatening to implicate him in a false case over the past three months. A case under the Prevention of Atrocities Act has been registered against Doolla and other officials.
Wakode was caught using a mobile phone during an exam on Friday and allegedly uploaded the question paper on an AI platform. IIT Bombay director Shireesh Kedare denied caste discrimination, saying no disciplinary action was initiated and the student was counselled. Students and the family dispute this, alleging he was threatened with suspension. Wakode's parents refused to claim his body for over seven hours, demanding arrests. They later took it after the probe was transferred.
This is the third suicide on campus this year. The crime branch will investigate, and the family has demanded a CID probe, a special public prosecutor, and compensation under the SC/ST Act. Advocate Nikhil Kamble is representing the family. IIT Bombay has said it will cooperate fully and urged against speculation.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Indiatvnews.com and Times of India both lead with the crime branch takeover and the father's casteist-remarks allegation, while Siasat.com foregrounds the student protest and demand for the director's resignation. Times of India includes the institute's denial of discrimination and the conflicting accounts about whether Wakode was threatened with suspension. Siasat.com amplifies student voices calling the death a natural result of systemic pressure. The sources agree on the core events but differ on emphasis: pro-administration framing highlights the counselling claim, while critical coverage centres on alleged harassment and institutional failure. The crime branch probe and the family's demand for a CID investigation will determine which account holds.
The case has already forced the postponement of mid-semester exams, and the family has yet to see arrests. The crime branch's findings, expected in weeks, will decide whether the professor faces trial under the Atrocities Act.
Coverage: 3 sources, 1 government-critical, 2 neutral
Sources (3): indiatvnews.com (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), siasat.com (government critical)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
