Around 25 to 30 protesters were detained outside the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay campus in Powai on Wednesday (October 14), after several student organisations and activists staged a demonstration demanding justice for student Sahil Wakode, who allegedly died by suicide last month. The protesters alleged that police personnel used force while detaining them, leaving some injured.
DCP (West Zone III) Datta Nalawade said around 25 to 30 people were detained during the demonstration. He said the protesters had requested a meeting with IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare, following which six representatives were taken to meet him. The remaining protesters were released shortly after the representatives left for the meeting.
Tejas Anoop, student representative of ‘Aamchi Padhai, Aamchi Ladai’, alleged that police personnel forcibly detained demonstrators who had gathered outside Gate No. 2 of the campus around 12.30 p.m. “They were forcefully trying to detain us. My waist is bruised. They were carrying us and throwing us around. I asked for some medical assistance, but I didn’t receive any,” Mr. Anoop said.
The six-member delegation subsequently met the IIT Bombay director and submitted a letter raising concerns over the institute’s handling of Wakode’s death and the subsequent investigation. The delegation included Rahul Sonpimple, Deepali Salve, Tejas Anoop, Sambhaji Bhagat, Nitin More and Sunil Nirbhavane.
According to Mr. Anoop, the delegation expressed its lack of confidence in the institute’s internal inquiry committee and questioned the administration’s response to allegations of caste-based discrimination. “The director said, ‘I don’t see caste’,” he claimed, adding that the delegation questioned why the institute’s administration had not met Wakode’s parents.
Mr. Anoop further alleged that the director had claimed to have met protesting students, but that such interactions had taken place only during the initial days following Wakode’s death.
The delegation also raised concerns over the circulation of CCTV footage related to the examination incident preceding Wakode’s death and questioned why the institute had initially focused on allegations of academic malpractice rather than the circumstances surrounding his death.
Concerns raised in the letter
In their letter, the protesters alleged that Professor Suryanarayana Doolla had violated the institute’s procedures for handling alleged academic malpractice by removing Wakode from the examination hall and reportedly threatening him with suspension before a disciplinary committee could examine the matter.
The letter also questioned IIT Bombay’s initial public statement about the incident, alleging that it had contributed to the public vilification of Wakode and his family. It further criticised a faculty march held in support of Doolla, claiming that two members of the institute’s internal inquiry committee had participated in it, raising concerns about the committee’s impartiality.
The delegation demanded the establishment of an external investigation committee, clarification from the institute that the available evidence did not conclusively establish that Wakode had cheated, and action against individuals or groups allegedly propagating unverified allegations. It also demanded that the director apologise for endorsing the faculty march in support of Doolla.
The letter was supported by several political leaders, activists and student organisations, including Dalit Panthers co-founder J. V. Pawar, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi leader Sujaat Ambedkar, Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad, NCP (SP) leader Anish Gawande, activist Sambhaji Bhagat, the All India Students’ Association, the All India Students’ Federation, and Chhatra Bharti, among others.
Advocate questions lack of action against IIT-B Director
Meanwhile, Advocate Nikhil Kamble, who represents Wakode’s parents, questioned why the Union Ministry of Education had not taken action against the IIT Bombay Director, drawing a comparison with the reported decision to place the director of Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Ranchi on leave following student protests. “The question is why the IIT Bombay director has not been sent on leave. Why did the ministry not take any action of this kind against IIT Bombay?” he said.
“I have valid reasons to believe why they are not taking any action against the director. I will reveal everything when the Mumbai police investigation report is filed by police officers. I’ll expose the IIT director’s connection with the said Central Government,” he alleged, without providing evidence to substantiate the claim.
Wakode, a second-year Energy Science and Engineering student at IIT Bombay, was found dead in his hostel room on September 18, hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during an examination. Following his death, his parents alleged that he had faced caste-based discrimination and harassment at the institute. Based on a complaint filed by his father, Ravindra Wakode, Powai Police registered an FIR against Professor Doolla. The investigation was subsequently transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch.
Wakode’s parents have also been protesting at Azad Maidan, demanding action against those they hold responsible for their son’s death. Several student organisations and civil society groups have joined the demonstrations, seeking accountability from the institute and an independent investigation.