A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe has been demanded into the alleged suicide of Darshan Solanki, a Dalit student at IIT Bombay. It came from former Rajya Sabha MP and former Vice-Chancellor of Mumbai University (MU) Dr Bhalchandra Mungekar on Wednesday, February 22.
"Darshan Solanki's family members have already alleged that he faced caste discrimination during his first semester. It should be probed thoroughly," Mungekar said, as per a report by PTI. He added that the police carried out the post-mortem without permission from the victim's parents and it was done before they arrived in Mumbai.
"The entire case is being suppressed when there is enough evidence that Darshan faced caste-based discrimination. It is not an accidental case, but institutional murder. The FIR should be filed with Sections from the SC-ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act," Mungekar stated further.
He also said that a protest demanding a SIT probe will be held in Mumbai next month. "Various like-minded organisations will gather at Azad Maidan here in Mumbai on March 4 and protest in support of an SIT and action against those involved in his (Darshan's) death. Darshan's father is also going to participate in the protest," the former MP said, as noted by PTI.
