IIT-B student’s death case: Kin claim no knowledge of ‘suicide note’

Mumbai: Hours after the Mumbai Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing IIT-B student Darshan Solanki’s death case recovered a purported ‘suicide note’, his kin have claimed they have no knowledge of the same, here on Tuesday.

A family member said that they had no information about it and Darshan’s father has gone to meet the SIT for details, and declined to speak more.

Among other things, the suicide note has reportedly named a room-mate of Darshan for alleged harassment, threats and casteist discrimination that compelled him to take the extreme step on February 12.

The SIT led by Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Lakhmi Gautam has found the ‘suicide note’ from Darshan’s room over a month after his death which sparked off a huge furore in higher education campuses all over India.

As per reports, the brief ‘suicide note’ names the co-student, whose identity has been established by the SIT and who had allegedly threatened and harassed Darshan.

The note, in a small chit, was recovered by the SIT nearly three weeks ago, when they investigated the room and carried out a panchnama, which was not found during the previous probe by the Powai Police Station.

Now, the SIT has lodged a case invoking relevant sections of Indian Penal Code and Atrocities Act pertaining to abetment to suicide and caste-based discrimination, against the co-student.

Earlier, an IIT-B internal inquiry panel had ruled out any “caste-based discrimination” leading to Darshan’s death, but his father Ramesh Solanki last week outright rejected the contentions.

Darshan, 18, a First Year Chemical Engineering student died on February 12, a day after writing his semester exams, and following a massive controversy, the state government appointed a Mumbai Police SIT.

At least three students associations – the Ambedkar Phule Periyar Study Circle-IITB, the Ambedkarite Students Collective-IITB and Concerned Alumni-IITB – had earlier written to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging him to request the Mumbai Police to register Ramesh Solanki’s complaint.

–IANS

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