IIT-Bombay suicide case: Special court grants bail to student arrested on abetment charges

Saturday, a special court in Mumbai granted bail to Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay student Arman Khatri, who was arrested for allegedly aiding Darshan Solanki’s suicide. Khatri’s attorney, Dinesh Gupta, stated that the court ordered Khatri to post an R25,000 cash bond.

Solanki, who was a first-year B Tech (Chemical) student from Ahmedabad, allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the seventh floor of a hostel building on the IITB campus in suburban Powai on February 12, a day after the semester exams concluded.

Three weeks later, a Mumbai police special investigation team (SIT) discovered a single-line note in Solanki’s room that read, “Arman has murdered me.”

Khatri was arrested on April 9 by the city crime branch’s special investigation team and charged with aiding suicide and criminal intimidation under the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Two days prior to his death, Solanki allegedly made a communal remark during a conversation with Khatri, prompting the latter to threaten Solanki with a paper cutter, as reported by the police. The police claim that Solanki was visibly terrified by this incident and had a fever that night.

According to the police, Solanki sent Khatri WhatsApp messages apologising for the remark and stating that he was returning home and leaving Mumbai.

In his bail application, Khatri claimed that he was targeted and implicated in the case.

The defence argued that there was no proof that Khatri had directly aided Solanki’s suicide.

It was also stated that Solanki’s parents never made any allegations against Khatri in their police complaint.
Khatri is a young student with no criminal history, and his incarceration would hinder his future, according to the argument.