Set up panel to probe campus ‘suicide’: IIM-Ahmedabad students’ body

The communication, signed by Atman Soni, general secretary of the 60th Students’ Affairs Council, demanded the constitution of a high-powered committee to inquire into the circumstances surrounding Bhukya’s death, along with “providing institutional support to students to ensure that the ongoing police investigation is conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner”.

Bhukya’s body was found in his hostel room on the new campus on the eve of The Red Bricks Summit (TRBS), the institute’s annual management symposium. Bhukya was the head of the coordination committee for TRBS, which was eventually cancelled after his death.

Stating that the students’ body presented “pertinent facts to the faculty regarding the circumstances leading to this incident” on September 29, the mail levelled allegations against an administrative officer in handling matters related to TRBS.

“The student community is deeply troubled by the circumstances surrounding this incident, as well as the institution’s response to it,” said the mail sent on Saturday to the IIMA Director, along with Board of Governors (BoG) Chairman Pankaj Patel, BoG members and faculty and research associates, among others.

There was no reply to mails sent by The Indian Express to the IIM-A Director as well as the BoG Chairman seeking their response to the allegations until press time. Soni could not be reached for comment.

“Preliminary evidence indicates that he (Bhukya) was under considerable pressure due to the uncooperative stance adopted by the IIMA administration in the conduct of TRBS. It is feared that this stress may have played a contributory role in his decision to take his own life,” the students’ body alleged in the mail.

In their communication, the students also raised allegations over the manner in which the police investigation is being conducted. “Apparent lack of seriousness with which the IIMA administration is approaching this matter. This is evidenced by the following facts: On October 04, 2024, when the police came to record statements of students, the scope of their inquiry was limited to the IMS logo and Communication Team, based solely on the complaint filed by Akshith Bhukya’s father, who may not have been fully aware of the broader context,” the mail said.

Earlier, the police had told The Indian Express that a company from which the TRBS team had taken sponsorship had allegedly used the IIM-A logo in its promotional material at an advance event which rankled senior officials at the institute and this had become a point of friction.

Bhukya’s father, who had earlier lodged a complaint at the Vastrapur police station, requesting them to look into allegations that his son had been pressured by an administrative staffer at the institute over conduct of TRBS, also raised concerns over the progress of the probe.

“There is no update from either the police or IIM-A on the investigation. We last heard from police around 10 days ago when we called them. They said they will start investigations after Navratri. We only want justice to my son’s death,” Hemanth Bhukya told The Indian Express on Sunday.

Both Deputy Commissioner of police (DCP) Zone-1 Himanshu Kumar Verma and Vastrapur police station Inspector L L Chavda were unavailable for comments.

The students also sought a clarification on “the issue of denying external participants” entry to TRBS when the IIMA administration “decided to accommodate the Chief Minister of Gujarat for a non-IIMA event — a Chintan Shibir involving senior bureaucrats — at the JSW School of Public Policy” on the campus.

“This external event, which overlapped with the annual TRBS event, led to restrictions on TRBS audience participation. Furthermore, given the nature of the Chintan Shibir as a non-IIMA event, we seek clarification on the rationale behind prioritising it over a long-standing internal annual student event,” the mail said.

Two days after the student’s death, a Chintan Shibir — a brainstorming session for officers and employees of the Chief Minister’s Office — was organised on September 28 at the IIM-A. It was inaugurated by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

“The denial of permission for external participants, due to the overlap with the Chintan Shibir, created immense pressure on Akshith, contributing to the stress he faced in the days leading up to his tragic death,” the students said in their communication.