Mumbai: Deceased IIT student's family says alleged suicide note 'did not look like Darshan Solanki's'

The events relating to the alleged suicide of Darshan Solanki, a Dalit student at the Indian Institute of Technology, Powai, took a totally new turn when his father, sister and aunt said that the handwriting on the suicide note "did not look like Darshan's."

Only his mother had earlier stated that the handwriting looked like that of her son. Darshan had allegedly ended his life by jumping from the seventh floor of the hostel where he lived.

The Powai police searched his hostel room, but did not find any suicide note. However, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by joint police commissioner Lakhmi Gautam, which was later tasked with the investigation, found the suicide note on the last page of a sheaf of question-answer papers in which he had blamed a fellow hostelier Arman Iqbal Khatri for his death.

The SIT found the papers right under the study table of Darshan. It is still a mystery how the Powai police did not find these papers. The name of Khatri removed the bottom from the allegation that Darshan was a victim of casteism. An internal probe ordered by the IIT management also did not come across the casteist angle.

Darshan's father claims Mumbai police not registering FIR

In a letter in English addressed to the Chief Minister and several others, Darshan's father Rameshbhai Solanki said despite several efforts the police were not registering his FIR.

He said several representations were made to all the authorities, but in vain. He blamed Gautam and other senior police officials of indulting in delaying tactics and not registering his FIR.

He also alleged that the SIT had given him a statement on the basis of which an FIR could be filed. However, Solanki Sr said his version as recorded in his March 16 letter should be recorded in the FIR.

The police also wanted Darshan's mother to file the FIR, but the father is keen that his FIR be registered. Rameshbhai Solanki has demanded that action should be taken against all the police officers who had failed to register the FIR. Solanki Sr is being backed by the Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle which is insisting that Darshan was a victim of caste discrimination on the campus.