IIT Bombay student death : Father denied protest permission, plans visit to Powai campus
The father of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, who allegedly died by suicide, plans to visit the institute's Powai campus after police denied him permission to continue his protest at Azad Maidan, his lawyer said on Saturday.
The development comes as a group of IIT Bombay students intensified their agitation over Sahil's death by launching a hunger strike on Friday, demanding accountability from the institute administration.
According to the family lawyer, police did not permit Ravindra Wakode to continue his protest at Azad Maidan. He is now planning to travel to the IIT Bombay campus in Powai, the lawyer said.
Ravindra and his wife had launched a hunger strike last week seeking "justice" for their son and demanding the arrest of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla and IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare.
Sahil, a 22-year-old second-year BTech student, was found hanging in his hostel room on September 18, hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination.
His parents have alleged that Sahil faced caste-based discrimination at the institute.
Following a complaint by Ravindra, Powai police registered an FIR against Professor Doolla.
The Crime Branch, which is investigating the case, questioned Doolla for nearly 10 hours on Thursday and recorded his statement. Police have so far recorded statements from around 40 people, including Sahil's parents, fellow students and IIT hostel staff, according to reports.
Electronic devices belonging to Sahil have also been sent for forensic examination as part of the investigation.
