A first information report has been registered in connection with the death by suicide of a student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, after the deceased's parents accused the institution of failing to address caste-based discrimination endured by their child. The filing came a day after the student was found dead, bringing fresh scrutiny to concerns about caste harassment in India's premier engineering institutions.
The parents, who have identified themselves publicly, alleged that their child faced sustained casteist treatment from certain peers and seniors during their time at the institute. According to the family, the discrimination included derogatory remarks and social exclusion that took a severe psychological toll on the student over an extended period. They claimed that despite repeated attempts to seek recourse, the administration did not take adequate action to investigate or protect their child.
In response, IIT Bombay has firmly denied the allegations. The institute stated that no formal complaint regarding caste-based harassment was ever submitted by the student to either the institution's Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) cell or to the broader administrative framework. Authorities at the institute have maintained that they were not made aware of any such grievance during the student's tenure and therefore could not have intervened.
Legal proceedings are now underway as the FIR triggers an investigation by local law enforcement. Police have begun collecting evidence and may interview faculty members, administrators, and fellow students connected to the deceased. The outcome of the probe will be closely watched by advocacy groups and families within the academic community.
The incident has reignited national debate over the prevalence of caste discrimination in elite educational institutions across India. Former students, activist organizations, and political figures have called for stronger safeguards, including transparent grievance redressal mechanisms and independent oversight of SC/ST cells in technical institutes. Critics argue that while institutional frameworks exist on paper, enforcement remains weak and victims often hesitate to come forward due to fear of retaliation or dismissal of their complaints.
IIT Bombay has announced it will cooperate fully with the police investigation and has said it will review its internal protocols to prevent similar situations in the future.
