IIT Bombay: IIT Bombay has removed its apology tweet linked to the supposed death by suicide of a 22-year-old BTech student from its ‘X’ handle as of Thursday (September 24). Nevertheless, following criticism from netizens, the institute has posted its apology on its social media account.
On September 21, an apology was posted from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) for the information contained in their previous tweet about the situation leading to the death of Sahil Wakode, a 22-year-old student, who is said to have killed himself on Friday (September 18). The IIT Bombay has admitted in its tweet on the X platform that the information and the situation leading up to the incident still need to be investigated by the concerned authority.
The Deleting and Reposting Controversy
The apology made by IIT Bombay on September 21 was taken down temporarily by IIT Bombay on Thursday, September 24. This quick deletion created public outrage over the suspicion that IIT Bombay was trying to withdraw their formal apology during investigations conducted by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch and an internal panel.
What Caused the Apology?
Wakode was a BTech second-year student from the Department of Energy Science and Engineering who committed suicide in his hostel room.
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Initial Statement: After the event, IIT Bombay released statements saying that Wakode had been found guilty of using his mobile phone to upload his test questions in ChatGPT while he was taking a midterm examination; however, no disciplinary actions were taken against him.
Backlash from Student and Public: Protests erupted among students. They accused the administration and Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, the exam invigilator, of harassment and caste discrimination because Wakode was humiliated before committing suicide.
The Apology Statement: On September 21, IIT Bombay released an apology statement expressing its regret for mentioning any information about the circumstances of Wakode's death before concluding police investigation and inquiry.
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