Mumbai: Sahil Wakode, the second-year BTech student at IIT Bombay who died by suicide last month, in his written statement to the institute after being caught copying, had said he would not repeat the mistake and had asked for a “chance”, police sources said.
Other than Prof Dolla, against whom allegations were levelled, police have recorded the statements of over 20 individuals so far, including 12 students. an internal inquiry by a 10-member committee set up by the institute is also underway While the police probe is on. Wakode was caught with his phone during the mid-semester exam on Sept 18. About 10-12 students are continuing their protests near the main gate.
Wakode apologised and said it was a mistake and that he had not prepared well for the exam, they added. The police said they are carrying out a detailed probe based on this statement. He also told her that he had been caught cheating during the exam, police sources said. The institute’s guidelines state that “on discovery of an act of indiscipline during the exam, the invigilator should confiscate the relevant material like chits, phones, answer papers, give a fresh answerbook and students should be allowed to resume writing the exam”.
Meanwhile, professor Suryanarayan Dolla, who has been named an accused in the abetment to suicide case, in his statement to the police, has denied allegations of harassment levelled against him by Wakode’s parents. Hours after the incident, he was found dead in his hostel room. Protests erupted on the campus immediately after the news spread, but many discontinued them after the institute held an open house four days later. They are also on a relay hunger strike. The students have been demanding an external probe into the incident. Sahil’s parents, Ravindra and Sonali, too, are on hunger strike. They are demanding the arrest of institute officials and justice for their son.
Their protest, too, entered the 12th day on Monday.