Rahul Gandhi speaks to IIT-Bombay student Sahil Wakode’s parents, assures all support

Mumbai: In a recent development following the death by suicide of Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay student Sahil Wakode on the Powai campus last week, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi spoke to his parents on Thursday and assured them of his support, even as the Congress staged a protest outside the institute’s main gate.

Sahil’s parents, Ravindra Wakode and Sonali Wakode, have alleged that their son was a victim of caste discrimination and mental torture and have blamed Prof Shireesh Kedare, the premier institute’s Director, and Prof Suryanarayana Doolla, a faculty member of the Energy Science and Engineering Department.

Gandhi spoke to the Wakode couple over a video call while they were travelling to Mumbai .

Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib and its Maharashtra unit chief Shivraj More were with the family at the time.

IIT student suicide: Why is it that Dalit children are the ones dying like this: Sahil Wakode's parents

The couple were also planning to undertake a hunger strike outside the IIT-Bombay campus; however, Bhandup police detained them.

“Gandhi assured them that the Congress Party would stand with Sahil's family until they receive justice and would make every effort to ensure justice for Sahil Wakode,” said Chib.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Congress president and Mumbai North-Central MP Prof Varsha Gaikwad led a protest by Congress and NSUI workers at the campus gate.

Later, a sit-in protest was held in front of the Powai police station after several workers were detained by police.

“BJP and RSS have harmed the education system and Congress will stand by the student's family,” she said.

“Instead of bringing the truth of the suicide case of IIT Mumbai student to light and taking action against the guilty, the BJP government is busy suppressing the voices of those protesting. While Mumbai Congress was peacefully protesting with the demand that Sahil gets justice, the police high-handedness and the action against the protesters is extremely condemnable,” said Prof Gaikwad, a former minister.

“A serious question has arisen about whether the police machinery is functioning under pressure from the BJP government. If, instead of answering the people's questions, there is an attempt to silence voices by using police force, then this is a direct insult to democracy and the Constitution,” she said.

'Asked him to bear it...': IIT Bombay suicide victim's parents say their son told them about caste abuse

“Sahil's laptop, mobile, and all other gadgets are in the Crime Branch's possession. The data from these devices should be immediately made available to Sahil's parents,” said Chib.

Chib also met Joint Commissioner of Police Manoj Kumar Sharma and demanded immediate action against those responsible for Sahil Wakode's death.

Sahil (20), a second-year student, was caught allegedly using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.

His mobile phone calls and chats are being investigated by the Crime Branch-CID, which has taken over the investigation from the Powai police station.