What happened in the exam hall at IIT-B? Wakode's family calls for CBI probe
After Sahil Wakode's death, his family sought a full inquiry into the events before it. The case has raised questions over exam supervision, official communication and possible caste-based harassment.
The suicide case of Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a student of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, has brought renewed questions upon the circumstances surrounding his death and the conduct of the institution during an examination in which he was allegedly caught using unfair means.
Wakode died by suicide on the 18th, according to his family. Since then, his relatives have sought an inquiry into the events that preceded his death, alleging that the institution has not provided them with a satisfactory account of what took place.
Speaking to the media, Wakode’s uncle said that the family learnt only after his death that Sahil had been using a mobile telephone. This, he said, raised a question as to how the examination hall was being supervised.
“What exactly was happening inside the examination hall?” the uncle asked, questioning the role of the invigilators. He has demanded a full inquiry, including an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The family also says that it received little information immediately after the death. According to the uncle, on the 17th they received a message stating that Sahil had died by suicide. He said the message contained no explanation of the circumstances and that the family has since sought answers from the authorities.
The uncle has further alleged that responsibility must be fixed upon any member of the administration found to have acted improperly in the matter. These remain allegations, and any determination of responsibility would require an independent inquiry and evidence.
The family has also raised a wider question concerning the social background of students who have died by suicide at the institution. The uncle claimed that the students who had died in such circumstances belonged to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities, and questioned whether caste had played a part in their experiences at the institute.
“If this is not caste-based harassment, then what is?” he asked, while demanding justice for Sahil and his family.
The controversy has therefore moved beyond the question of an alleged examination violation.