Yavatmal: The family of deceased IIT-Bombay student Sahil Ravindra Wakode has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into his death, alleging severe caste-based discrimination and calling for strict action against those held responsible.

Sahil Wakode, a student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, died by suicide on Friday. The family's plea for a high-level probe comes after his father filed a complaint alleging that a professor hurled casteist slurs at Sahil over the past three months. While IIT-Bombay initially issued a statement on September 19 claiming the student had been caught cheating in an examination, the institute subsequently issued a formal apology retracting those claims.

Speaking to ANI, Sahil’s uncle raised critical questions regarding the circumstances inside the examination hall prior to the incident, as well as the broader pattern of suicides among marginalized students.

"We want to know why the students who have died so far have all belonged to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Why is this happening to us? If this is not caste-based harassment, then what is? We are the guardians of the Indian Constitution, and if injustice is inflicted upon us, the whole country is watching; Sahil deserves justice. Sahil's family deserves justice," he said.

"There must be a full inquiry, a CBI inquiry. After Sahil died by suicide, we learned he had been using a mobile phone; so, what exactly was happening inside the examination hall? What were the invigilators doing?" he added.

He noted that the family received a stark message on September 17 stating Sahil had died by suicide, without any further context or details.

"That single sentence was all we got regarding our child. No one is willing to explain why or how it happened. Action must be taken against everyone within the administration who is culpable in Sahil's suicide case. There must be a CBI inquiry," he stated.

Sahil’s aunt alleged that he had spoken directly to his father about experiencing caste discrimination on campus shortly before his death.

"On Monday, he told his father about the caste-based discrimination he was facing. His father advised him, 'Son, just focus on your studies. These things don't matter; focus on your future.' That is what he was told," she recalled.

She urged the administration to hand over all physical and digital evidence directly to the family without alteration.

"We need the administration to provide us with full details regarding Sahil, CCTV footage, and all other evidence, exactly as it is. There must be no tampering with it; the truth must be revealed to everyone," she demanded.

She further claimed that the resignation of a single professor was insufficient accountability for what the family suspects is a larger systemic issue.

"Only one professor has resigned. That doesn't really matter to us because this incident didn't involve just one professor. A major conspiracy lies behind such a massive incident, and many people are involved in it. This includes the institute's director," she alleged.

Describing the night of the incident, she noted the extreme distress and confusion the family experienced:

"That evening, we received a call from the professor at 8:00 PM informing us that Sahil had committed suicide. We simply could not believe it; we wondered if someone was playing a prank on us. That is what we were thinking. We rushed there that very night."

Upon arrival at the premier institute, however, she claimed that officials remained evasive:

"When we reached IIT, no professor or director came to meet us; no one spoke to us. Why did that happen? What happened? No one told us anything."

Addressing queries regarding their legal steps, she explained why the family invoked the Prevention of Atrocities Act:

"People ask why we invoked the Atrocity Act. The reason is that the students who have committed suicide so far have all belonged to SC or ST communities, not other castes. Why is injustice constantly being inflicted upon our children?"

"Aren't our children the future of this country? All children are the country's future. They should all be treated equally, but that is not happening. Our child is innocent; he did not do anything," she added.

"Even after three days, we still know nothing. We have no information regarding the CCTV footage or what exactly happened to him. If it was a suicide, we have no details about it. We have not received his mobile phone or his laptop. None of these things has been shown to us so far," she emphasised. (ANI)