IIT Bombay Suicide: Driven Out of City in Private Car Against Our Will, Allege Parents of Sahil Wakode
New Delhi: The parents of Sahil Wakode – the 20-year-old student of IIT Bombay belonging to a Dalit community whose death by suicide has sparked massive protests – alleged that they were driven out of Mumbai in a private car despite telling the driver multiple times that they wanted to remain in the city, reported Times of India.
The family members of Sahil said that despite telling the driver that they wanted to be in Mumbai and start a hunger strike outside IIT Bombay, the driver did not listen to them and took them to the Karanja Lad area of Washim district by early Wednesday (September 23) morning.
According to the family’s advocate Nikhil Wakode, after they left IIT Bombay in Powai, some men who were not in uniform asked them to shift to another vehicle.
“We were asked to change the car by some people who were not in uniform. I was wondering why my clients were being taken in a private car when they had their own vehicle. So I too sat along with them. I don't know the name of the officers, they were in mufti,” said Wakode.
Sahil’s father Ravindra Wakode said that the family repeatedly asked the driver where they were being taken.
“He kept saying, ‘I am dropping you home’,” said Ravindra Wakode.
The family alleged that they told the driver they that they did not want to return home and instead planned to begin a hunger strike outside the IIT-Bombay campus from Wednesday morning, for which they had taken permission.
Ravindra Wakode alleged that police vehicles initially followed the private car, but were not visible after the vehicle entered the Samruddhi Expressway.
“We then told the driver that we wanted to use the washroom and got off the vehicle. I want justice for my son. Do you realise that 100 hours have passed and no action has been taken against the offenders?” he said.
Earlier, facing severe backlash and protests over the death of Sahil, IIT Bombay had apologised for its earlier statements wherein it had claimed that the student was found using his mobile phone during his mid-term exam, and that no disciplinary action was initiated against him.
Students of the institute and his parents have accused IIT Bombay of casteism and of humiliating Sahil, which they say resulted in his death.
(If you know someone – friend or family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. The Suicide Prevention India Foundation has a list of telephone numbers they can call to speak in confidence. Icall, a counselling service run by TISS, has maintained a crowdsourced list of therapists across the country. You could also take them to the nearest hospital.)
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