Rahul Gandhi assures support to Sahil Wakode's parents ahead of IIT Bombay hunger strike
Rahul Gandhi spoke to Ravindra and Sonali Wakode, assuring them of help in their pursuit of justice for their son Sahil, who was found dead in his IIT Bombay hostel room.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has assured the family of Sahil Wakode, an IIT Bombay student who was found dead in his hostel room, of support in their pursuit of justice, party sources said.
Mr. Gandhi reached out to Sahil's parents, Ravindra and Sonali Wakode, through a video call while they were travelling to Mumbai from Washim district. The conversation lasted close to 17 minutes, during which the Congress leader conveyed that he stood with the family and would extend whatever assistance was needed.
Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib and the party's Maharashtra unit chief Shivraj More were present alongside Sahil's parents when the call took place.
The family has announced that it will begin an indefinite hunger strike in front of the IIT Bombay gate from 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Sahil was found hanging in his hostel room on the evening of September 18, hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is investigating the death. An FIR in the case names faculty member Suryanarayan Doolla and alleges abetment to suicide on grounds of caste discrimination. Mr. Doolla has been sent on leave to allow an impartial probe.
On Wednesday, some television channels aired CCTV footage from the examination hall showing Sahil's movements before a professor approaches him and leads him out of the hall after he was allegedly caught copying.