Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi spoke with the parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode and assured them of support in their efforts to seek justice, party sources said to India TV on Thursday.
Rahul Gandhi spoke to Sahil’s parents, Ravindra and Sonali Wakode, through a video call while they were travelling from Washim to Mumbai. The conversation lasted around 17 minutes, according to party sources.
Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib and Maharashtra Congress chief Shivraj More were also present with the family during the call.
Sahil’s parents plan hunger strike
Sahil’s parents have announced an indefinite hunger strike outside the IIT Bombay campus gate from 11 am on Thursday.
The family is seeking action over the circumstances surrounding the death of their 22-year-old son and has raised concerns about his treatment at the institute.
Sahil, a second-year BTech student in the Energy Science and Engineering department, was found dead in his hostel room on September 18.
The incident occurred after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination. His family has also alleged that Sahil faced caste-based remarks before his death.
These allegations are being investigated and have not been established as facts.
IIT Bombay forms 10-member inquiry panel
IIT Bombay has formed a 10-member committee to examine the circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death.
The panel includes a former vigilance officer and student representatives and has been asked to submit its findings within a week.
The institute has also asked Professor Suryanarayan Doolla to go on leave while the matter is being examined. The professor has been accused by Sahil’s family and students of contributing to the circumstances surrounding his death. These allegations remain subject to investigation.
According to sources, the institute has considered several demands raised by students and agreed to most of them, while the demand for the professor’s resignation has not been accepted.
Mumbai Crime Branch investigating
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is separately investigating Sahil’s death.
Investigators are examining CCTV footage from different parts of the IIT Bombay campus, including the examination hall and hostel, to establish a timeline of events before his death.
Footage from the examination hall has also emerged as part of the investigation. According to reports, the CCTV recording shows Sahil during the final part of his examination on September 19.
The footage reportedly covers a period of about 54 seconds between around 12:30 pm and 12:45 pm, when roughly 15 to 20 minutes were still left before the examination was scheduled to end at 1 pm.
Investigators are examining the footage along with other available evidence as they work to determine what happened before Sahil’s death.
The inquiry by IIT Bombay and the Mumbai Police investigation are continuing.
