Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has rejected claims that caste-based harassment was linked to the death of 22-year-old IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, saying investigators should be allowed to establish what happened.
Sarnaik spoke about the case on Tuesday as questions continued to be raised over the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death and allegations made by his family.
“The student’s father has filed a complaint. The student was from Vidarbha, and some political people are trying to give the incident a caste angle, which is wrong,” Sarnaik told reporters in Mumbai.
The minister said the investigation was still in progress and that the facts would become clear once the authorities complete their inquiry. He also said caste should not be brought into the education system in connection with the incident.
Father raises allegations of caste harassment
Sarnaik’s comments came after Wakode’s father reportedly alleged that his son had faced caste-based harassment.
Wakode, a second-year BTech student studying in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay, was found dead in his hostel room on the institute’s Powai campus on September 18.
The circumstances preceding his death have become the subject of an investigation, with allegations surrounding events at the institute being examined by authorities.
Investigation transferred to Mumbai Crime Branch
The case has now been transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch for investigation. The move comes amid continuing questions over what happened in the hours before Wakode’s death.
According to reports, Wakode had allegedly been found using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination shortly before his death. The circumstances and sequence of events surrounding the examination are part of the broader investigation.
The allegations made by Wakode’s family regarding caste-based harassment are separate claims that investigators will need to examine along with other aspects of the case.
IIT Bombay professor sent on leave
Amid the controversy, IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla has reportedly been sent on a week-long leave.
Doolla had earlier been removed from his position as dean following the developments surrounding Wakode’s death. Reports have indicated that the action did not amount to a suspension from his teaching responsibilities.
Student protests have also continued at the institute, with students demanding answers regarding the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death.
IIT Bombay revises examination schedule
IIT Bombay has meanwhile announced a revised timetable for its mid-semester examinations.
The examinations had been cancelled after Wakode’s death. Their rescheduling marks the resumption of the academic examination process at the institute while the investigation and student protests continue.
The Crime Branch probe is expected to examine the events leading up to Wakode’s death and assess the different allegations and circumstances surrounding the case. Until the investigation establishes the facts, claims about the reason or motive behind his death remain allegations rather than established findings.
