The IIT Bombay agreed on Monday to discuss and act on an 18-point charter of demands raised by student protestors, following a late-night meeting. The institute has also suspended the invigilating professor.
Sahil Wakode, the second year student of engineering at IIT Bombay, died by suicide after falling from his 14th-floor apartment. This is the fourth suicide in the last seven months at the institute.
The 18 demands include suspension of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was invigilating the examination (which has been fulfilled), an independent inquiry with student and external representation, greater administrative accountability, mental-health reforms, and assurances that no action will be taken against students participating in the protests.
Some demands also called for a task force on student suicides, better student representation in decision-making bodies, and improved counselling and psychiatric support on campus.
Meanwhile, the IIT Bombay recently clarified that Director Prof Shireesh Kedare, who was earlier seen in a viral video claiming to resign from his post in connection with the suicide, has not resigned and assured that a fair and impartial probe will be carried out in the case.
Earlier, the institute's faculty forum issued a statement backing Doolla, saying he was merely carrying out his duties under Senate-approved academic regulations. According to the forum, the professor reported an alleged case of academic malpractice in accordance with institute procedures and should not be blamed for performing his official responsibilities.
However, the deceased's father refuted IIT Bombay's claim and alleged that their son was a bright student since his school days and even got good marks in the first year of his engineering. He alleged abetment to suicide and harassment.
Sahil's father said that his son is a victim of caste-based discrimination. He alleged that for the last three months, his professor and officers of the IIT Bombay harassed him by making casteist slurs against him, even though he was a bright student.
Sahil's maternal grandmother claimed that "mental torture' may be a reason for him to take the extreme step and sought a probe into the institute's administration and the hostel environment.
Sahil's maternal grandmother Shyamlata Tayade said, "Mental torture by IIT Bombay can be a reason behind Sahil's suicide."
Calling for the equal treatment of all students, she also said the institute's administration and the hostel environment should be investigated if bright students like Wakode are driven to end their lives.
"At home, Sahil had a lot of support from relatives and others as he was fulfilling everyone's dream of studying at IIT. All relatives would always wish him well," she said.
No one could believe that he had killed himself since he was very bright in studies, Tayade added.
She also said the institute should first inform the parents when such an incident takes place.
"He was his parents only son. To me it seems that not just Sahil but even his parents have been killed. Because now for what will his parents live? My only plea is that Sahil's family must get justice," she asserted.
Earlier in the day, IIT Bombay issued a note saying Sahil's death was an unfortunate incident and clarified that he was allegedly caught using ChatGPT during the exam, which could have led to the suicide.
The father claimed that the ChatGPT story is a made-up story to tarnish the image of his deceased son and shrug off the responsibility for this incident. He demanded the professor's arrest under the SC/ST Act.
IIT Bombay, in its statement, apologised for its earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil. It stated that the details of Sahil's death are subject to investigation by the appropriate authority.
(With inputs from PTI)