The Mumbai Crime Branch on Friday recorded the statement of Professor Suryanarayan Doolla in the IIT Powai suicide case. The statement was recorded on the IIT Powai campus itself, a process that lasted between 8 and 10 hours. In his statement, Doolla maintained that he had followed the guidelines and denied using casteist slurs or making any such remarks.
Professor Suryanarayan Doolla refutes all allegations
He also refuted the allegations levelled against him. The recording of Suryanarayan Doolla's statement is expected to give momentum to the Crime Branch's investigation, the Mumbai Crime Branch said in a statement.
In the meantime, the parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, who allegedly died by suicide, remained firm on their demand for the arrest of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla and institute director Shireesh B Kedare as they continued their hunger strike.
In this regard, some workers of the Mumbai Youth Congress and All India Students' Federation also joined the protest at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai. They held Sahil's photograph and raised demands for justice for the 22-year-old student.
Sahil’s family has not received any response from govt
Even as Sahil's father Ravindra Wakode refused to speak to the media, the family's lawyer said they had not received any response from the government so far on their demands.
In a similar development, a police official said the Mumbai Crime Branch, probing the alleged suicide case, has so far recorded the statements of 40 people, including Sahil Wakode's parents, fellow students and IIT hostel staff, as part of its investigation. However, the statement of Professor Doolla, booked for abetment of suicide, was not recorded, he said.
Sahil Wakode found hanging on Sept 18
It should be noted that Sahil Wakode (22) was found hanging in his hostel room on the evening of September 18, hours after being caught while allegedly using his mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination. However, his parents alleged caste discrimination against their son at the premier institute and have been demanding the arrest of Professor Doolla and IIT Bombay Director Kedare.
The parents have asserted they would continue their protest until their son gets justice and those responsible for his death are punished. They also reiterated its demand for a fair, impartial and expeditious investigation and appropriate action in accordance with law against all persons found responsible, the lawyer said. The IIT Bombay board earlier constituted a 10-member committee to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the student's death.
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Prof Doolla sent on leave in IIT Bombay student suicide case, Crime Branch to question him today
