Caste discrimination drove him to suicide: IIT-B student’s family

“Even his friends stopped talking to him when they came to know that he was from Scheduled Caste,” Rameshbhai, who works as a plumber, earning nearly 15,000 a month, said.

Darshan spoke to his father over phone at 12.20 pm on February 12, minutes before he allegedly died by suicide by jumping from the eighth floor of his hostel. He was planning to visit home after a two-day trip with friends.

When contacted, Jahnvi said, “Just an hour before he died, Darshan had called father. It was a regular call to wish our cousin on her birthday. He was planning to come home for vacation and spoke to father about it. We demand to know what happened after that phone call.”

Jahnvi, who is pursuing MCA in Ahmedabad, added that Darshan had spoken to her about caste-based discrimination on campus. “It was a regular talk that we had about how students admitted on reserved seats are looked down upon by fellow students. I, too, have faced it,” she said, adding that Darshan was merely sharing that such discrimination existed on the IIT campus.

“Darshan and my parents were relieved to know that there is no discrimination on campus after attending the orientation sessions at IIT. We were told that all are treated equally and there are forums that students can approach if they faced any issue,” she said.

Rameshbhai said Darshan was happy when his exams got over on February 11. “He was going on a trip with his friends for two days. He wished my elder brother’s daughter on her birthday and also his aunt and promised that he will visit them when he is home on February 14,” he said.

He had deposited Rs 3,000 in his wife Tarikaben’s bank account for Darshan’s trip. “Darshan did not have an ATM card and used his mother’s card,” Rameshbhai said.

On February 13 night, Rameshbhai planned to pick up Darshan from the institute. “On February 14, he would have been at home with us. He was very excited about coming home and was expecting at least a break of 15 days,” he said.

Darshan’s uncle Harishbhai, who lives next door at Maninagar in Ahmedabad, said: “When we had gone to pick him during Uttarayan (January 14), he told my wife that students would ask him why he is studying for free when they have to pay a lot. Bade ghar ke logon ko achha nahi lagta aur jalan hoti hai ki hamare jaise log vahan free mein padhte hain aur unhe mehngi fees deni padti hai. (People from well to do houses feel jealous that he and other students like him from Scheduled Caste are studying for free while they have to pay high fees).”

Darshan came home for the last time on January 14 and 15 for Uttarayan festival and returned on January 16.

Darshan, his family said was very interested in studies and had never taken any private tuitions. “He would study till late night sometimes till dawn. He wanted to achieve something big in life and make his family proud,” Rameshbhai, a Class XI dropout said.

Darshan’s uncle Gautam Parmar, who spoke to him when he had come his home for the Uttarayan festival, said, “Despite the struggles of staying away from famly and having to eat mess food, we were glad to know that he was getting along well with a few of his classmates.”