Mumbai: Special court grants bail to Arman Khatri in IIT Bombay student suicide case

Mumbai, 7th May 2023: Arman Khatri, a student accused of abetting the suicide of IIT Bombay student Darshan Solanki, has been granted bail by a special court in Mumbai. Khatri, who was arrested on April 9 by the Special Investigation Team of the Crime Branch of the police, was granted bail on a cash deposit of Rs 25,000 with conditions.

According to the police, Solanki died by suicide on February 12 by jumping from the seventh floor of a hostel building on the IIT campus. Three weeks later, a suicide note was found in Solanki’s room, in which Armaan was accused of instigating Darshan to commit suicide.

The police stated that Solanki had made a casteist remark during a conversation with Khatri two days before his death, which led to an argument. Khatri allegedly threatened Solanki with a paper cutter, which scared Solanki, leading him to apologize via a WhatsApp message and leave Mumbai.

In the bail application filed by Khatri, he claimed to be a target of implication in the case, stating that there was no evidence of him directly instigating Solanki’s suicide. The application further argued that Solanki’s parents did not name Khatri in their complaint to the police, and that Khatri had no criminal background. The petition also mentioned that Khatri’s imprisonment would negatively impact his future.

The court granted bail to Khatri on the grounds that there was no evidence linking him directly to Solanki’s suicide. The court also imposed conditions on his bail, including a prohibition on leaving the city without prior permission from the police and attending all court hearings related to the case.