IIT-Bombay student suicide: Mumbai University's ex-VC to protest alongside Congress on March 1

Mumbai: Bhalchandra Mungekar, former Mumbai University Vice Chancellor, along with the Mumbai Pradesh Congress Committee, will organise a protest on March1 in regards to IIT-Bombay student Darshan Solanki's death on February 12.

On Wednesday, during a press conference, Mungekar alleged that Solanki was a victim of caste discrimination, just like Hyderabad Central University student Rohit Vemula who had also died by suicide on campus in 2016.

Mungekar had met Dr Subhasis Chaudhuri, director of IIT-B, and Powai Police to obtain information but he claims that the authorities are not taking the case seriously. He also alleged that the postmortem of Solanki was done without informing his family.

“The internal committee that they (IIT-B) have formed to investigate the matter does not look reliable. I've asked them to appoint people from outside to bring inauthenticity.The (Powai) police have not added the Atrocity Act in the case, which is unfair,” said Mungekar.

Darshan Solanki death

On February 12, Darshan Solanki, a student in B-Tech first year, died by suicide. Post his death, a fringe group claimed that he took the grave step because he was being discriminated on the basis of his caste.

The institution has refuted the claims and the police have also ruled out foul play.

Ramesh Solanki and Tarlika Solanki, parents of Darshan, had urged for a candlelight march on February 19 in Ahmedabad. They hoped that the candle march will address the set of demands they had to make. The family sought SIT probe into his death and also wanted implementation of Rohith Vemula Act.