IIT Bombay suicide: Students hold candle march, demand external probe

A week after IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode took his own life, students took to the campus for a candlelit march on Friday night to honor the memory of the second-year BTech student and others who have died by suicide at the institute. Wakode, 20, was found with a mobile phone during a mid-semester exam on September 18. At the peaceful protest, students presented a list of 10 demands, including changes to their previous demands and calling for an independent investigation.

They expressed concerns over the independence of a 10-member investigation committee and requested that it be replaced with an external panel with no ties to IIT Bombay. The students also demanded an immediate suspension of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who caught the alleged exam misconduct, and the resignation of IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare.

They asked for reforms in the Student Welfare Centre, including periodic audits and a medically qualified Dean, greater transparency in the Disciplinary Action Committee, and a graded, reformative disciplinary framework. Additional demands included reconstitution of the SC/ST Cell, release of past reports, and addressing alleged caste-based attacks on Wakode and his family.

The students also sought to keep batchmates on the same hostel floor, a three-day buffer before and after mid-semester exams, and improved working conditions for campus workers. They promised not to take any action against the protesting students. Sahil's parents, who have alleged caste-based discrimination and pressure on campus, have registered a police complaint naming Doolla.

The parents have transferred the case to the CBI and demanded its transfer to the CBI. IIT Bombay has formed a 10-member committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding Wakode's death, expected to submit its report within seven days. Meanwhile, Sahil's parents ended their hunger strike at Mumbai's Azad Maidan, with their lawyers hinting at a potential resumption of the protest on Saturday.