IIT Bombay Apologises For Remark After Student Suicide, FIR Filed, Protests Erupt
IIT Bombay has issued an apology retracting its earlier remarks regarding the death of a second-year BTech student, Sahil Wakode, who died by suicide in his hostel room. The student allegedly took the extreme step hours after being caught using a mobile phone and ChatGPT during an examination. The Mumbai Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) for abetment of suicide and invoked sections of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act following a formal complaint by the student's family, who alleged caste discrimination and harassment by faculty members. In its latest communication, the institute acknowledged that it was inappropriate to characterize details of the events preceding his demise before investigations were concluded. Meanwhile, student protests erupted on campus demanding action against the named professor and the administration, while the Crime Branch continues its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
