IIT Bombay student’s death: Suicide note matches deceased’s handwriting

The suicide note recovered by the SIT on March 3, mentioned the name of Darshan Solanki's hostel mate and blamed him for the death .

The special investigation team (SIT), which is investigating the death of IIT Bombay student Darshan Solanki, has received a report from a handwriting expert, which says the handwriting in the purported suicide note recovered from the institute' hostel matched the writing samples of the deceased, an official said, The Hindu reported. 

Solanki, who belonged to Ahmedabad in Gujarat and was a first-year BTech (Chemical) student, allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the seventh floor of a hostel building located on the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) campus in suburban Powai on February 12 this year. 

The Maharashtra government has formed an SIT to probe his death. His family has claimed that he faced discrimination at the premier institute for belonging to a Scheduled Caste (SC) community and suspected foul play in his death. However, the inquiry committee set up by the IITB has ruled out caste-based discrimination and hinted at deteriorating academic performance as a possible cause of suicide. 

"We have received the report of handwriting analysis conducted by an expert, which confirmed that the handwriting of Darshan Solanki matches that in the suicide note found in his hostel room," an official said. “The suicide note recovered by the SIT on March 3, mentioned the name of Solanki's hostel mate and blamed him for the death," he said. 

Read more: 

• IIT Bombay student's death: Police register suicide abetment case 
• IIT Bombay student’s death: Father writes to CM, alleging harassment by police 
• IIT Bombay student’s death: Cops waiting for kin to lodge abetment to suicide plaint