Rahul Gandhi speaks to IIT-Bombay student Sahil Wakode’s parents, assures all support

Mumbai: In a recent development following the death by suicide of Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay student Sahil Wakode on the Powai campus last week, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi spoke to his parents on Thursday and assured them of his support, even as the Congress staged a protest outside the institute’s main gate.

Sahil’s parents, Ravindra Wakode and Sonali Wakode, have alleged that their son was a victim of caste discrimination and mental torture and have blamed Prof Shireesh Kedare, the premier institute’s Director, and Prof Suryanarayana Doolla, a faculty member of the Energy Science and Engineering Department.

Gandhi spoke to the Wakode couple over a video call while they were travelling to Mumbai.

Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib and its Maharashtra unit chief Shivraj More were with the family at the time.