IIT Bombay student's death: Alumni, students' groups write to Devendra Fadnavis, seek FIR

At least two IIT Bombay student collectives have asked Maharashtra Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis to order the police to file an FIR in the death of Darshan Solanki, a first-year student who allegedly committed suicide in February.

To investigate the death, the state government has already formed a special investigation team (SIT) led by a senior police officer.

In an e-mail-cum-letter written to Fadnavis on Tuesday, the students' groups claimed the SIT investigation is based on the Accidental Death Report (ADR) filed by the police, and "the refusal of the SIT to base their investigation on FIR is a failure to recognize the rights of the family".

This letter is written by Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC), Ambedkarite Students Collective (ASC) and a concerned alumni group of IIT Bombay.

Solanki with a caption that he would have turned 19 on Tuesday

The APPSC also tweeted a photograph of Solanki with a caption that he would have turned 19 on Tuesday.

Solanki, who hailed from Ahmedabad in Gujarat and was a first-year student of the B Tech (Chemical) course, allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the seventh floor of a hostel building located on the campus on February 12.

The APPSC also tweeted a photograph of Solanki with a caption that he would have turned 19 on Tuesday.

Solanki, a first-year B Tech (Chemical) student from Ahmedabad in Gujarat, allegedly committed suicide on February 12 by jumping off the seventh floor of a hostel building on campus.

Family alleges racial discrimination

His family claimed he was discriminated against at the IITB because he belonged to the Scheduled Caste community and suspected foul play in his death.

However, the IITB inquiry committee ruled out caste-based discrimination and suggested that poor academic performance could be a cause of suicide.

"Darshan would have turned 19 today, if the institute had implemented all the policies mandated by law, reservation in faculty, mental health support, sentisation for savarnas, proper grievance redressal mechanism, etc. @iitbombay has failed you. #justicefordarshansolanki, (sic)" the APPSC tweeted.

The students' groups claimed in their letter that Solanki's parents came to Mumbai for lodging an FIR (First Information Report) on March 16, but the local Powai police station, the SIT, and senior officials of Mumbai Police refused to file the FIR despite multiple requests from parents and accompanying lawyers.

They claimed till now the SIT's investigation is based on the Accidental Death Report (ADR) filed by the police.

According to the students' groups, Solanki's parents arrived in Mumbai on March 16 to file a FIR (First Information Report), but the local Powai police station, the SIT, and senior Mumbai Police officials refused to file the FIR despite multiple requests from the parents and accompanying lawyers.

They claimed that the SIT's investigation is currently based on the police's Accidental Death Report (ADR).

"The refusal of the SIT to base their investigation on FIR is a failure to recognize the rights of the family to register a complaint in respect of cognizable offence as provided under the law."We fear this angle of the investigation will reiterate IIT Bombay's Interim Report where they put the blame on Darshan's merit, ignoring possible atrocities that he might have endured," the letter stated

(With PTI Inputs)