Students protesting at Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) held a candlelight march on Friday night from the Justice Corner at the main gate to hostel 4 to mark one week since the death by suicide of a second-year student on the campus, who stayed in hostel 4, and demanding a change in the team investigating the case.
The incident triggered protests on campus, with students demanding an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death. On September 19, a 22-year-old IIT-Bombay student was found dead in his hostel room number 4 , however, police said that no suicide note was recovered from the spot.
They demanded that pending SC/ST faculty recruitment positions be filled and that alleged caste-based attacks against the deceased student and his family, including those on social media and within the campus, be addressed. The students further demanded that the family be allowed to safely visit the IIT-Bombay campus and meet students and the administration.
The protesters also sought reforms in the SC/ST Cell, including its reconstitution according to UGC rules and the release of its reports for the past three years.
Because some members had publicly supported Prof Suryanarayana Doolla before the inquiry concluded, the protesting students demanded that the existing investigation committee be dissolved, alleging concerns over its independence.
The students also demanded that Prof Doolla be suspended from all responsibilities until the criminal investigation is completed.
