Mumbai: Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Tuesday rejected allegations of a caste angle in the death of 22-year-old IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, saying the matter was under investigation and the facts would emerge soon.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Sarnaik said, "The student's father has filed a complaint. The student was from Vidarbha, and some political people are trying to give the incident a caste angle, which is wrong."
Sarnaik said bringing caste into the field of education was wrong and reiterated that the matter was being investigated.
Father alleges caste-based harassment
His remarks came after Wakode's father reportedly alleged that his son had faced caste-based harassment.
Wakode, a second-year BTech student in IIT Bombay's Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found dead in his hostel room on the Powai campus on Sep 18.
According to reports, Wakode had allegedly been caught using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination hours before his death.
Crime Branch investigates case
The circumstances surrounding Wakode's death remain under investigation. The case has recently been transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch.
Meanwhile, IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla has reportedly been sent on a week-long leave amid continuing student protests over Wakode's death. The development came days after he was suspended from his deanship role at the institute. However, faculty members reportedly maintained that Doolla had not been suspended from his teaching position.
Mid-semester examinations to resume
IIT Bombay has also released a revised timetable for the mid-semester examinations, which had been cancelled following Wakode's death. The announcement signals the resumption of academic activity even as student protests continue.
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