IIT Bombay
IIT Bombay student dies after jumping from 7th floor of hostel building, police probe suicide, caste discrimination allegations
Mumbai/IBNS: An 18-year-old student of IIT Bombay died after he jumped from the seventh floor of his hostel building at the institute's campus in Powai on Sunday afternoon.
The deceased student, Darshan Solanki, left no suicide note and the police have registered a case of accidental death.
While the probe into the matter is ongoing, a student group has alleged that he was driven to suicide due to discrimination against Scheduled Caste students on the campus.
Solanki, a BTech student, hailed from Ahmedabad and had enrolled for the course three months ago.
His first semester exams concluded on Saturday.
The Powai police are trying to find out if the pressure of studies drove him to commit suicide.
In a note to students, Institute Director Subhasis Chaudhuri reportedly said: "We regret to inform the loss of a first-year student in a tragic incident this afternoon. Powai police is investigating the case.
"The parents of the student have been informed and they are on their way. We deeply mourn the death of the student and pray that the family gets the strength to bear this loss. May his soul rest in peace."
The APPSC (Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle) IIT Bombay, tweeted: "We mourn the loss of an 18 year old dalit student, Darshan Solanki, who joined @iitbombay 3 months back for his BTech. We must understand that this is not a personal/individualised issue, but an institutional murder".
We mourn the loss of an 18 year old dalit student, Darshan Solanki, who joined @iitbombay 3 months back for his BTech. We must understand that this is not a personal/individualised issue, but an institutional murder. Despite our complaints the institute did not care to make the pic.twitter.com/qKH6Vw1HPE
— APPSC IIT Bombay (@AppscIITb) February 12, 2023
"Despite our complaints the institute did not care to make the space inclusive and safe for dalit bahujan adivasi students. First-year students face the most harassment in terms of anti-reservation sentiments and taunts of non-deserving and non- meritorious. There is a lack of representation of faculty and counsellors from the marginalized," another tweet read.
We have been raising the issue of lack of caste sensitive counsellors in the counselling services of @iitbombay for a long time. The idea of merit is weaponized to harass the students coming to IITs. https://t.co/AajSIRI1h3
— APPSC IIT Bombay (@AppscIITb) February 13, 2023
In an Instagram post, the Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle alleged that it is "no hidden fact that students from the SC/ST community face immense harassment and discrimination on the campus from students, faculties and employees".
The post also claimed the "general atmosphere in IIT Bombay campus, where reservations are equated with lack of merit".
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