Police detained the parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode and 16 other students at a protest site outside the Powai campus on October 18, 2026, before clearing and demolishing the site as demonstrators demanded accountability over his death and stronger safeguards against caste discrimination.
The police action followed the arrival of Wakode’s parents, Ravindra and Sonali Wakode, at the institute. Police had earlier detained 10 students at the site. The students were later released and returned to the gathering, according to the report. After the parents arrived, they submitted a letter to the Registrar of IIT Bombay.
Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad subsequently met the couple at the protest site. Lawyer Siddhartha Ingale said police detained the parents after the MP left and also took him into custody. The group was taken to the Azad Maidan police station, after which police detained 16 more students and cleared the protest site.
The demonstrations had continued for about a month, with students and activists from multiple organisations holding protests and hunger strikes. The protesters have demanded action against Suryanarayana Doolla, a professor in IIT Bombay’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering, and Professor Shireesh B. Kedare, the institute’s director. Doolla was named in the First Information Report filed in connection with Wakode’s death, according to the report.
Wakode, a second-year B.Tech student, was found dead in his hostel room on September 18 after he was allegedly caught cheating during a mid-semester examination. The protesters have sought a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death and have raised concerns about caste discrimination and institutional safeguards for students.
The case has also brought attention to IIT Bombay’s internal guidance on student interactions. An email issued by the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs said questions about JEE or GATE scores, birth or admission category should not be asked. The guidance stated that even questions asked out of curiosity could have a negative impact and might be perceived as discriminatory.
The reported police action has added a law-and-order dimension to a dispute that began with demands for institutional accountability. The detention of the parents, lawyer and students, followed by the removal of the protest site, shifts the immediate focus to how authorities manage demonstrations linked to student deaths and complaints about discrimination on higher-education campuses.
The report did not state the conditions under which those detained were released or whether the institute, the police or the professors named by protesters had issued a fresh response to the demands. Students and activists are continuing to seek accountability and safeguards through the investigation and related proceedings.
