IIT- Bombay student commits suicide in hostel, admin refutes caste discrimination charges

Police probing the alleged suicide by an Indian Institute of Technology Bombay student on Wednesday said he had spoken to his father for around 30 minutes before ending his life, but did not mention anything about facing caste discrimination. An official said the police have started recording statements of his hostel roommates to ascertain what led the student, Darshan Solanki, to take the extreme step.

A student organisation has alleged Solanki -- a Dalit -- was facing caste discrimination at the campus, but the IIT Bombay administration has refuted the charge.

The 18-year-old student died allegedly after jumping off the seventh floor of a hostel building on the Powai campus of the premier institute on Sunday (February 12). Solanki hailed from Ahmedabad and was a first-year student of BTech (Chemical).

A senior police official involved in the probe said statements of more than a dozen persons have been recorded so far. Police had asked Solanki's parents, who visited the campus after the incident if they have any complaint against anybody, he said.

As per statements available with the police, the student's parents had not raised any objection on probe or expressed doubt over their son's suicide, he said.

Solanki had spoken for half an hour with his father before ending his life, but during the conversation he had not said anything about facing discrimination in the institute, said the police official. Solanki had told his father he will be visiting home on February 15, he said.

His body was taken to Ahmedabad where last rites were performed on Tuesday, the official said. "Police are thoroughly investigating the case and each and every aspect will be examined to know the exact cause of the suicide," he said.