The parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, who died by suicide on September 18, plan to approach the Bombay High Court seeking what they describe as a fair investigation, a change in the investigating officer and further action in the case registered against professor Suryanarayana Doolla for alleged abetment to suicide.
Ravindra Wakode, Sahil’s father, said the family had lost faith in the investigation and would seek judicial intervention if its representations to government and police authorities did not bring relief. The case was transferred to the crime branch following the family’s demand, but Wakode said they had received no update even after a month.
The family also plans to shift its sit-in hunger strike from Azad Maidan to near the IIT Bombay gate after informing the police. Wakode said he had been on hunger strike for 21 days and intended to continue the protest outside the institute. He described the action as a peaceful sit-in and said the family would proceed irrespective of whether permission was granted.
“The case was transferred to the crime branch, as per our demand, but we do not have any update even after a month. The accused was called for a statement almost two weeks after the incident. I have lost faith in the investigation and feel that the police have almost made up their mind not to take any action,” Wakode told mediapersons, according to the Times of India report.
The family’s advocate, Siddharth Ingle, said representations had been sent to the chief minister, the principal secretary of the home department, the social justice department and the director general of police. He said the family was awaiting responses and would file a writ petition in the High Court if no relief was provided.
Ingle also alleged that CCTV footage was being shown selectively and said there was no clarity about the hour after Sahil left the examination hall. The family has sought details of what happened inside the head of the department’s room, including which people interacted with the student, according to the report.
Wakode further alleged that an internal report prepared by the institute was likely to be biased. These remain allegations made by the family and its legal representative. Senior police officers were not available for comment when contacted for a response, and the supplied report does not record an independent conclusion on the investigation’s progress or the claims regarding the CCTV footage.
The police have registered an abetment-to-suicide case against Doolla. The report does not state whether charges have been filed or whether any court has made findings on the allegations. The next formal step identified by the family is a possible writ petition before the Bombay High Court, subject to the response from the authorities to its representations.
