IIT Bombay suicide case: ‘Bombay chhodke jaake dikha, main wahan pahunch jaunga’

Darshan Solanki, the deceased student

Darshan Solanki had told his fellow students at IIT Bombay that their senior Armaan Khatri, prime accused in his suicide case, would kill him no matter where he goes, according to the charge sheet filed by the SIT. Apologising for an alleged communal remark he had made against Khatri, Solanki had left him a message, stating that he was leaving Mumbai.

The Special Investigating Team (SIT) of the Mumbai police filed the charge sheet after three months of investigation into the suicide of Darshan Solanki. Darshan, the first-year BTech student at IIT-B, allegedly jumped off the seventh floor of their Powai hostel on February 12. While his family alleged that caste discrimination drove him to take his own life, police later found that he took the drastic step because he was frightened of Armaan, his senior at the college.

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(From left) Darshan's mother Tarlikaben Solanki, sister Janhvi Solanki and father Ramesh Solanki, at Mumbai Press Club, on May 11. Pic/Shadab Khan

Among the 55 witnesses (including 14 students), whose statements have been recorded, are seven professors, including those who stay on the eighth floor. According to the charge sheet, on February 10, Darshan sent Armaan a text message on WhatsApp, stating: "hi, Armaan Mai Bombay chod ke ja raha hu... (I'm leaving Mumbai)." "In response, Armaan told him, ‘tu Bombay chodke ja ke dikha, main wahaan pahunch jaunga'," as per the charge sheet.

The charge sheet further reads, "It is clear from this chat that Darshan was apologising for the communal remark he had made [before]. On February 9, Armaan had threatened Darshan, and according to witnesses, Darshan was shivering [in fear] and others were trying to console him. Darshan also told other students, who are witnesses in this case, that ‘Armaan bahut pahuncha hua aadmi hai, mereko maar daalega, woh mereko chodega nahi'.

Earlier on February 10, Darshan had hugged Armaan and told him, "main yahan se ja raha hu", states the charge sheet. The police, in the charge sheet, claimed that "Darshan got scared because of this [threat]. He even ran a fever on February 11 and 12 and his roommate gave him a blanket. It is assumed that he wrote the suicide note on the back of the question paper and jumped off the hostel building."

Darshan Solanki

The police also mentioned another chat, between Darshan and one professor, wherein he talked about his struggle with studies. "Main bahut badi samasya me hu, mare ghar me meri dadi ka swabhav bilkul acha nahi isliye main jaanbujhke ghar se door aise college me admission liya hai, lekin mere se padhai nahi hoti aur marks bhi nahi aati jis se wapas. Mai depression me chala jata hu. Sir, please kuch aisa upay batao jisse mare padhai me interest aane lage."

Darshan's roommate told the police about the deceased's encounter with Armaan on February 9 when the latter had allegedly threatened while referring to a cutter, states the charge sheet. "While going for exam, Armaan was carrying a bag and Darshan asked him what was in there. He told him that he was carrying a pen, a book and a cutter. Darshan inquired about the cutter, and Armaan said something like ‘kisiko niptana hai..." he stated, according to the 483-page charge sheet. Police have also mentioned statements of IIT professors in relation to Darshan's performance in exams and his marks. They have recorded the report of the IIT-B's internal committee that initially probed his suicide.