IIT Bombay Student Death: Rahul Gandhi Speaks to Sahil Wakode's Family
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has personally intervened in the aftermath of the tragic death of IIT Bombay undergraduate student Sahil Wakode, connecting with the deceased youth's family via a video call to assure them of complete institutional, legal, and personal support in their pursuit of justice. News agency PTI, quoting sources, confirmed that the high-level outreach took place as the student's parents traveled from their home district of Washim in Maharashtra toward Mumbai to follow up on the ongoing police investigation.
17-Minute Video Call Pledges Full Support for Grieving Parents
During the emotionally charged 17-minute interaction, Rahul Gandhi spoke directly with Sahil’s father, Ravindra Wakode, and mother, Sonali Wakode, expressing deep condolences and reassuring the family that they would not walk the legal battle alone. Present alongside the grieving couple during the conference were Indian Youth Congress (IYC) National President Uday Bhanu Chib and Maharashtra Youth Congress chief Shivraj More. Gandhi reiterated that the Congress party stands firmly behind the family’s demand for transparent accountability, ensuring that any systemic or institutional pressures linked to the tragic incident are rigorously examined.
Allegations of Caste Bias and Demands for Independent Probe
The political engagement arrives amid intense campus demonstrations and escalating demands from student organizations seeking an impartial, independent probe into the circumstances leading to the 20-year-old's death. Sahil’s parents have formally alleged that their son was subjected to systematic caste-based discrimination and persistent mental harassment within the Powai campus, urging law enforcement authorities to hold the responsible individuals strictly accountable under statutory protections. Sahil, a second-year B.Tech student, was found dead in his hostel room on the evening of September 18, hours after an incident in his mid-semester examination hall where invigilators accused him of using artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT on a mobile device.
CCTV Examination, Crime Branch Probe, and Faculty Member Placed on Leave
The sequence of events inside the examination room remains central to the multi-agency inquiry. Examination hall CCTV footage broadcast by regional news channels reportedly captured the student’s movements before the invigilator intercepted him, confiscated his paper, and directed him to exit the hall. The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has formally taken over the investigation, with a First Information Report (FIR) registered under relevant sections governing abetment to suicide and provisions related to caste-based harassment. To safeguard the integrity and neutrality of the ongoing probe, faculty member Professor Suryanarayan Doolla, who was named in the initial complaint, has been placed on mandatory administrative leave by the institute.
