Gandhi made a video call to Ravindra and Sonali Wakode while they were travelling to Mumbai from Washim district, the sources said. During the nearly 17-minute call, Gandhi told the couple that he was with them and assured them of all help. Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib and Maharashtra unit chief Shivraj More were also present with Sahil’s parents during the conversation.
The call came amid growing protests and demands for an independent probe into Sahil’s death. His parents have alleged that their son faced caste-based discrimination and mental harassment at IIT Bombay and have sought action against those they hold responsible.
Sahil, a second-year BTech student at IIT Bombay, was found hanging in his hostel room on the evening of September 18. His death occurred hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.
The examination incident subsequently became a key focus of the case after Sahil was allegedly stopped by a professor and taken out of the examination hall. CCTV footage from the hall, aired by some television channels on Wednesday, reportedly shows Sahil’s movements before the professor approaches him and leads him away.
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is investigating the death. An FIR has been registered alleging abetment to suicide on grounds of caste discrimination. Faculty member Suryanarayan Doolla, who has been named in the FIR, has been sent on leave to facilitate an impartial investigation.
IIT Bombay has maintained that its SC/ST cell had not received a complaint from Sahil before his death. The institute has also constituted a 10-member committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Sahil’s parents have announced that they will begin an indefinite hunger strike outside the IIT Bombay gate from 11 am on Thursday. Their demands include a thorough investigation into the circumstances preceding their son’s death and action based on the findings of the probe.
The developments come as Sahil’s family continues to seek an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death, with the police probe and IIT Bombay’s committee examining the events that preceded the incident.
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