IIT Bombay students’ father writes to SIT alleging caste discrimination angle being sidelined

Darshan’s father has alleged that SIT continues to sideline the caste-based discrimination incidents his son has faced with overwhelming evidence pointing out the caste discrimination faced by Darshan and the impact it had on him.

The Father of an IIT Bombay student who died by suicide last month has written a letter to SIT requesting them to investigate the caste discrimination faced by Darshan while he was a student at IIT Bombay. He has also demanded that the cloned copies of Darshan's electronic devices be returned to the family.

In his letter to Joint CP (Crime), Mumbai which is looking into the death of Darshan Solanki the father has alleged that the SIT sidelined the incidence of caste discrimination in the investigation. Darshan Solanki died by suicide on February 12 at IIT Bombay.

The father has alleged that based on the social media profile of Darshan, people stopped liking him at IIT Bombay after they learned that he was a reserved category student. “This is yet another evidence of caste discrimination faced by him in a line of so many that have already been revealed which show that he was isolated, taunted and ostracized due to his caste,” he writes.

He has stated that this new evidence adds to many already submitted testimonies regarding the caste discrimination that Darshan faced in IIT-B.

He has alleged that SIT continues to sideline the caste-based discrimination incidents his son has faced with overwhelming evidence pointing out the caste discrimination faced by Darshan and the impact it had on him.

Citing media reports, Darshan’s father has mentioned that the latest media reports suggest SIT's ruling out of caste discrimination faced by Darshan from his classmates and roommate, in light of the handwritten note which names one student (whose handwriting has been disputed by him and his daughter — Janvi) are concerning.

“I once again appeal to the SIT to investigate this matter. I am persuaded that Darshan was killed/pushed to commit suicide because of the harassment he faced as a reserved category,” the father writes.

He further adds: “I once again call upon you to hand over clone copies of all electronic devices seized during the search and seizure conducted by the police pursuant to and during the course of the investigation into the death of my son, Darshan Solanki.”

Read more:

• DU EC passes Rs 1886.53 crores Budget; AAP Teachers wing demand absorption of Ad-hocs

• UGC asks HEIs to implement National Credit Framework