IIT Bombay student dies by suicide; caste discrimination, anti-reservation sentiments alleged

The student was identified as Darshan Solanki, who hails from Ahmedabad in the Gujarat state, police said. The APPSC (Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle) IIT Bombay alleged the suicide was a result of anti-reservation sentiments.

Mumbai: In a shocking incident, an 18-year-old student studying at IIT-Bombay allegedly died by suicide at the hostel with a student group alleging caste and anti-reservation discrimination on the campus that forced him to take the extreme step.

The student was identified as Darshan Solanki, who hails from Ahmedabad in the Gujarat state, police said. He was studying in first year of B.Tech mechanical programme at the IIT-Bombay campus located in Powai area in the city.

The APPSC (Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle) IIT Bombay alleged the suicide was a result of anti-reservation sentiments and called it an "institutional murder". "We mourn the loss of an 18 year old dalit student, Darshan Solanki, who joined @iitbombay 3 months back for his BTech. We must understand that this is not a personal/individualised issue, but an institutional murder".

• We mourn the loss of an 18 year old dalit student, Darshan Solanki, who joined @iitbombay 3 months back for his BTech. We must understand that this is not a personal/individualised issue, but an institutional murder. Despite our complaints the institute did not care to make the pic.twitter.com/qKH6Vw1HPE

  — APPSC IIT Bombay (@AppscIITb) February 12, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  We mourn the loss of an 18 year old dalit student, Darshan Solanki, who joined @iitbombay 3 months back for his BTech. We must understand that this is not a personal/individualised issue, but an institutional murder. Despite our complaints the institute did not care to make the pic.twitter.com/qKH6Vw1HPE

  — APPSC IIT Bombay (@AppscIITb) February 12, 2023

  ">

  We mourn the loss of an 18 year old dalit student, Darshan Solanki, who joined @iitbombay 3 months back for his BTech. We must understand that this is not a personal/individualised issue, but an institutional murder. Despite our complaints the institute did not care to make the pic.twitter.com/qKH6Vw1HPE

  — APPSC IIT Bombay (@AppscIITb) February 12, 2023

"Despite our complaints the institute did not care to make the space inclusive and safe for dalit bahujan adivasi students. First-year students face the most harassment in terms of anti-reservation sentiments and taunts of non-deserving and non-meritorious. There is a lack of representation of faculty and counsellors from the marginalized," another tweet read.

"We have been raising the issue of lack of caste sensitive counsellors in the counselling services of @iitbombay for a long time. The idea of merit is weaponized to harass the students coming to IITs," it said in yet another tweet.

• We have been raising the issue of lack of caste sensitive counsellors in the counselling services of @iitbombay for a long time. The idea of merit is weaponized to harass the students coming to IITs. https://t.co/AajSIRI1h3

  — APPSC IIT Bombay (@AppscIITb) February 13, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  We have been raising the issue of lack of caste sensitive counsellors in the counselling services of @iitbombay for a long time. The idea of merit is weaponized to harass the students coming to IITs. https://t.co/AajSIRI1h3

  — APPSC IIT Bombay (@AppscIITb) February 13, 2023

  ">

  We have been raising the issue of lack of caste sensitive counsellors in the counselling services of @iitbombay for a long time. The idea of merit is weaponized to harass the students coming to IITs. https://t.co/AajSIRI1h3

  — APPSC IIT Bombay (@AppscIITb) February 13, 2023

The APPSC also came out with a detailed statement and shared the same on Twitter. "How many more Darshans and Anikets need to die? Our statement on the institutional murder of Darshan Solanki. We owe a collective responsibility towards the family of the deceased. As a society, as an institution, what do we celebrate and what do we marginalize?" it tweeted while sharing the statement.

• How many more Darshans and Anikets need to die? Our statement on the institutional murder of Darshan Solanki. We owe a collective responsibility towards the family of the deceased. As a society, as an institution, what do we celebrate and what do we marginalize? pic.twitter.com/K5lCD2mRl4

  — APPSC IIT Bombay (@AppscIITb) February 13, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  How many more Darshans and Anikets need to die? Our statement on the institutional murder of Darshan Solanki. We owe a collective responsibility towards the family of the deceased. As a society, as an institution, what do we celebrate and what do we marginalize? pic.twitter.com/K5lCD2mRl4

  — APPSC IIT Bombay (@AppscIITb) February 13, 2023

  ">

  How many more Darshans and Anikets need to die? Our statement on the institutional murder of Darshan Solanki. We owe a collective responsibility towards the family of the deceased. As a society, as an institution, what do we celebrate and what do we marginalize? pic.twitter.com/K5lCD2mRl4

  — APPSC IIT Bombay (@AppscIITb) February 13, 2023

The deceased student had taken admission into the prestigious institute three months ago. He jumped from the seventh floor of the hostel building of the IIT. The immediate reason for his extreme step was not found. The suicide of the first year student created an uproar on the IIT campus. No suicide note was found in his hostel room.

The institute authorities have informed the family members of the student. The police said further investigation will continue to find out the actual cause of the student's death. As the student is studying in first year only, the police and the institute authorities are inquiring into the matter from all angles.