SIT probing IIT-B student’s death records statement of student who saw Solanki jump off bldg
An undated photo of (right) Darshan Solanki with his parents and sister
Officers investigating the death of IIT-Bombay student Darshan Solanki on Monday recorded the statements of several students, including of the classmate named in the suicide note. They, however, believe that he is not divulging the truth. “If he won’t reveal the facts, we will take the help of scientific tests, including narco-analysis and brain mapping,” an officer privy to the investigation said.
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The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Mumbai police’s crime branch found the note on March 3, in which Solanki named the classmate and stated that he was “going to kill me”. The police filed the FIR against an unknown person under IPC Section 306 (abetment to suicide) on March 30, based on his family’s complaint alleging cast-based discrimination. Thereafter, the SIT, headed by Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Lakhmi Gautam and Deputy Commissioner of Police Krishnakant Upadhyay, intensified the probe.
Solanki was scared
According to the officer, the classmate in his statement said: “He [Solanki] got scared of me after seeing a cutter in my bag and became apprehensive that I am going to kill him. In fact, he told some of my classmates that I was going to harm him, and I’ll also go to Ahmedabad [Solanki’s home town] if I have to kill him.” Several other students also said that Solanki was afraid of the classmate. “One day, when Solanki’s classmate [named in the suicide note] went for namaz, he was talking about how he is scared of him. Later, Solanki was seen apologising to the classmate, but students don’t know why,” a senior officer told mid-day.
A witness to suicide
The SIT also recorded the statement of a student, now a prime witness in the case, who saw Solanki jump off the seventh floor. According to sources, the student was talking on the phone on the balcony of the eighth floor when he saw Solanki trying to jump on February 12. The student screamed his name twice, but he jumped before he could do anything, they said. Cops said they are waiting for the forensic report of Solanki’s mobile phone to check if there were any discriminatory messages, especially by the student named in the note.
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