Who was Darshan Solanki, Dalit IIT Bombay student who died by suicide? Know all about the case

Many student unions across the county are outraged and are staging protests after the death of a student named Darshan Solanki, who was a student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. Solanki allegedly died by suicide, and his death is still being probed.

Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) held protests in several cities over the rising cases of student suicide and the death of Darshan Solanki, which has left his family and the students of IIT Bombay shaken.

While investigations are being carried out regarding whether the death of Solanki was a murder or a suicide, many are alleging foul play in his death and saying that he was a victim of casteism on the campus. Here is all you need to know about the case.

Who was IIT Bombay student Darshan Solanki?

Darshan Solanki was an 18-year-old student at IIT Bombay, who allegedly died by suicide due to various problems he faced on campus. Darshan Solanki belonged to the Dalit community and had alleged that he was facing casteism from several students at IIT Bombay.

Darshan Solanki was a first-year student at IIT Bombay and was pursuing chemical engineering. His sister Jahnvi, who is 21 years old, is a final year MCA student, with the siblings being the first professionals in the Solanki family.

What happened to Darshan Solanki?

After Darshan’s death, his family came out and spoke to the media about what their son was facing on the IIT Bombay campus. Days after Solanki was found dead inside the IIT hostel on February 12, his family alleged that he was being harassed because he was from the Dalit community.

While speaking to NDTV, Darshan’s parents and sister alleged that he was being ostracized for being from the Dalit community. They claimed that the student was facing harassment from his friends. He had reportedly also told his family that he was facing caste discrimination.

His sister Jahnvi Solanki said that Darshan had told the family that when his friends and peers found out that he was from the Scheduled Caste, they stopped talking to him, and their behavior towards him changed drastically.

Darshan had reportedly said that many students didn’t like the fact that he was “studying in IIT for free” and that people felt jealous of him because he didn’t have to spend money on college fees. It is being claimed that harassment and casteism was the reason behind the suicide.

The authorities are investigating the case, and it has not been determined yet if the death was a murder or a suicide.

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