An internal committee commissioned by the Indian Institute of Bombay found “no specific evidence of direct caste-based discrimination” resulting in the death of Darshan Solanki, a student who allegedly committed suicide in February.
The panel also alluded to his “deteriorating academic performance” as a possible reason for taking his life.
Sources report that on February 24, the Maharashtra Home department issued an order to transfer the investigation from the local Powai police station to the Crime Branch, just prior to the beginning of the state’s Budget Session on Monday. The family of the student has claimed that Darshan Solanki was subjected to caste discrimination, which ultimately drove him to take his own life.
As per a senior officer of the Mumbai Police, the investigation has been moved to the Mumbai Crime Branch. An SIT has been created under the guidance of Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Lakhmi Gautam, with DCP (Detection) KK Upadhyay and ACP (Santacruz Division) Chandrakant Bhosle, while additional members may be included later.
As of now, an Accidental Death Report (ADR) has been filed at the Powai police station, and statements from the deceased’s family members have been documented.
However, soon after Darshan committed suicide, a raft of left-leaning ideologues and supporters had blamed caste discrimination as the reason for his decision to take the extreme step. They also abused Hindus, alleging that it was due to discrimination perpetuated by the higher caste Hindus that students are forced to the extreme step of ending their lives.
How the Leftists exploited the death of Darshan Solanki to promote their Hinduphobic propaganda
The Dalit Voice, a popular Twitter account that often peddles Hinduphobic content on the microblogging website, deemed Darshan’s suicide as “instituitional murder”, adding that Rohit Vemula, Payal Tadvi, and Darshan were all victims of “harassment, discrimination and casteism”.
Rohit Vemula, Payal Tadvi, Darshan Solanki, Now Dr. Preeti and many other dalit tribal talented children are being murdered institutionally, all these students are victims of harassment, discrimination and casteism. The govt should take strict action against Morden Dronacharya.. pic.twitter.com/6xMXgerUn7
— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) February 27, 2023
Mission Ambedkar, another Twitter account with penchant for purveying fake anti-Hindu claims, called the suicide of Darshan Solanki as “caste-based institutional murder”.
Caste-based institutional murder!
— Mission Ambedkar (@MissionAmbedkar) February 13, 2023
Darshan Solanki, SC student at IIT Bombay fell victim to casteism and died by jumping from the college hostel.
The culprits shouldn't be spared at any cost. We demand a fair inquiry into this. pic.twitter.com/VHZFc2zLSm
Others too joined in to push the propaganda that Darshan Solanki was a victim of caste discrimination. Subhajit Naskar, an Assistant Professor with Jadavpur University, took to Twitter to make sweeping claims that higher caste students in elite colleges lack “social empathy” and “moral solidarities”, alleging that Darshan Solanki was a victim of “caste supremacist mechanism”.
IITs, IIMs ,IIsc lack social empathy and moral solidarities from oppressive upper caste students, professors, and research scholars, our brother Darshan Solanki is the victim of that caste supremacist mechanism.
— Subhajit Naskar (@subhajit_n) February 16, 2023
Jignesh Mewani, who was arrested for spreading malicious fake news, also propagated the disinformation that Solanki ended his life due to alleged caste discrimination.
Darshan Solanki had to end his life due to alleged caste discrimination at the IIT-Bombay campus.
— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) February 17, 2023
We seek justice for Darshan and his family.#JusticeForDarshanSolanki #IITBombay pic.twitter.com/jvRJMOBZJF
Another Twitter user Urban Shrink tweeted, “Despite multiple complaints IIT Mumbai paid no heed to systemic bullying and caste discrimination. This is institutional murder, Darshan Solanki’s death is on the institution. IITs are breeding ground for casteist monsters!”
Despite multiple complaints IIT Mumbai paid no heed to systemic bullying and caste discrimination. This is institutional murder, Darshan Solanki’s death is on the institution.
— @UrbanShrink (@UrbanShrink) February 13, 2023
IITs are breeding ground for casteist monsters! pic.twitter.com/JcibCNxxvI
Darshan jumped from the refuge area of the IIT-Bombay hostel building on February 12 at around 1 pm. He hailed from Ahmedabad and had joined the institute for a B-Tech course just three and a half months before the incident.
Previously, Rameshbhai Solanki (47), the father of Darshan, had alleged that Darshan had discussed the caste discrimination he was experiencing at the institute with his older sister Jahnvi and aunt Divyaben.
