Day 2 of hunger strike: No one from govt approached us, says lawyer of Sahil Wakode's parents

MUMBAI: The parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode on Tuesday pressed for action against those responsible for his death, with their lawyer saying no government representative had approached them, as their hunger strike in Mumbai entered its second day.

At Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, Sahil's parents Ravindra and Sonali Wakode, hailing from Yavatmal in Maharashtra, sat on a makeshift stage holding his photograph with a message seeking justice for him. A few others joined them at the site.

The family's lawyer, Nikhil Kamble, said no one from the government side has approached them so far.

Wakode (22), a second-year student, was found hanging in his hostel room on the evening of September 18, hours after being caught while allegedly using his mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.

His parents have alleged caste discrimination against their son at the institute.

They have been demanding the arrest of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, booked for abetment to suicide, and IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare.

The parents have said they would continue their protest until their son gets justice and those responsible are punished.

The IIT Bombay board earlier constituted a 10-member committee to inquire into the circumstances surrounding Sahil's death.

Prof Doolla, a faculty member named in the police FIR alleging caste discrimination and abetment to suicide, has been sent on leave to facilitate an impartial probe.

"Until Doolla and Kedare are arrested, the hunger strike will continue," Ravindra Wakode told reporters on Monday evening.

He claimed to have spoken to the Assistant Commissioner of Police and vowed to continue the fast as per the police’s guidelines.

The Crime Branch has been examining CCTV recordings and other evidence to reconstruct the sequence of events on September 18. Police have also questioned students, faculty members and administrative staff to establish what happened after Sahil allegedly left the examination hall.

Police officials earlier said Sahil, before taking his life, had regretted alleged copying in an exam on September 18 during a telephonic conversation with his female friend after he was caught.

Students protesting on the campus have demanded changes to the inquiry process and raised concerns over student welfare and grievance redressal mechanisms.

Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad earlier met Wakode at Azad Maidan and extended her support to the family.