Death of IIT-Bombay student: Parents start hunger strike at Azad Maidan; the institute postpones the half-semester exams

Sahil’s father Ravindra said those who tortured the IIT-Bombay student should be put behind bars. | Photo credit: Emmanual Yogini

Sahil Wakode’s parents staged a sit-in at Azad Maidan on Thursday (September 24, 2026). They demanded the arrest of the faculty member. They sought a speedy probe into their son’s death at IIT Bombay.

Ravindra Wakode and Sonali Wakode gathered at the protest site. He noted that his son led a team of 50 students in AI and robotics. “You can ask anyone. They will tell you how good of a person Sahil was. Do you think a student like that could do this? The investigation should be expedited.”

A CCTV clip purportedly from the examination hall of IIT Mumbai has gone viral amid a widening controversy over the events leading up to the death of second-year student Sahil Wakode on 18 September.

The footage has emerged as the Mumbai Police reconstructs Wakode’s movements on the day of his death. His family was allegedly harassed on the basis of caste, while the institute set up a 10-member committee to probe the circumstances of the case.

The viral clip is time-stamped 12:37 on September 18 and shows a student sitting in the front row leaving the exam hall while others continue to write the test. Social media accounts identified the student as Wakode. However, his identity cannot be independently ascertained from the clip.

IIT Bombay has postponed the exams scheduled for September 26 and 27 to October 10 and 11. The institute apologized. The apology related to the statement in the communication about the circumstances of the death. IIT Bombay disputed the discrimination allegations.

Police detained Varsh Gaikwad, Member of Parliament and NSUI and Youth Congress workers outside the campus in the afternoon. Gaikwad called the incident a “constitutional murder”. She asked for an examination. She accused the RSS of “infiltrating” institutions. “This is not the first incident at IIT. We want accountability,” she said. She refused to classify the death as a suicide. She described it as a death caused by casteism and communalism. She cited caste-based discrimination as the reason. She invoked the rights guaranteed by the constitution. “The constitution of this country gives me the right to speak! I am a citizen! The constitution gives me that right!” She mentioned the video. She was looking for the truth to come out. She criticized the appointment to the positions of vice-chancellors and the administration.

In the afternoon, the police arrested Ravindra Wakode in Bhandup. He was on his way to the Powai campus to start the strike. The police took the parents to meet the SC/ST Commission in South Mumbai. Advocate Nikhil Kamble said, “Today, Sahil’s family was on their way to IIT Bombay to start a hunger strike. Unfortunately, my clients were detained again by the Mumbai police. They are not allowed to go to IIT Bombay to start a hunger strike. I believe they should be given legal protection rather than being detained.”

Published – 24 Sep 2026 19:01 IST