IIT Mumbai Suicide Case: SIT Finds Suicide Letter, Investigation Ongoing

Mumbai, 28th March 2023: A “suicide” letter has been found by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) looking into the death of Darshan Solanki of IIT Bombay. IIT student Darshan Solanki killed himself at IIT Powai in February. Caste-based prejudice was found to be one of the factors in Solanki’s choice to suicide, according to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was directed by Lakhmi Gautam (joint commissioner of crime). The SIT also discovered a suicide letter in which he accused a fellow student of intimidating and bullying him.

The suicide note was reportedly found in his room after SIT took over the investigation. The suicide letter allegedly says, “Arman has killed me.”

Officials claim that they have identified the classmate allegedly harassing and threatening him as Arman Iqbal Khatri and discovered some WhatsApp conversations between them. An officer stated, “We believe that something occurred that day, and he (the dead) penned a suicide note before plunging from the seventh floor.

An offence is currently being registered under the Atrocities Act and Section 306 of the IPC (abetment to suicide).

The IIT panel, however, refuted any caste-based prejudice in its earlier findings and asserted that academic excellence was the only thing motivating such a dramatic measure.

A day after his semester exam was finished, on 12th February, first-year student Darshan passed away. Initially, it was claimed that he died by suicide as a result of his subpar academic performance. Later, however, the family and a group at IIT Powai claimed that he had been subject to severe caste-based harassment on campus and had discussed it with his sister.

The state government established a Special Investigative Team under the direction of a joint commissioner for crime in response to the outrage expressed by families and other organisations.