Police detained Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad and dozens of party workers and activists of the National Students' Union of India on Thursday during a protest outside IIT Bombay's Powai campus over the death of second-year student Sahil Wakode, whose family has alleged he faced caste-based discrimination before his death.
Wakode, 22, a second-year BTech student, was found dead in his hostel room on the evening of September 18, hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination. His parents have said he had told them he faced caste-based slurs.
Gaikwad, the Mumbai Congress president, and other party workers, including women activists, staged the demonstration at the institute's main gate amid heavy security and police barricades before being taken to the local police station.
ALSO READ: IIT Bombay Student Suicide: Professor Suryanarayana Doolla Sent On Leave
"We have come here to hold a peaceful protest. We want justice for Sahil Wakode," Gaikwad said.
She added that similar incidents had occurred at the institute before, referring to the case of Darshan Solanki, a first-year Dalit student who died in February 2023, and asked "who is going to take accountability for this".
She said Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi had spoken to Wakode's family and told them the party would "fight their battle" to ensure justice.
Gaikwad also accused the police of manhandling protesters during a peaceful demonstration, telling reporters, "I don't understand why the police are treating us like this... Even before coming here, the police have continuously tried to take us away."
ALSO READ: IIT Bombay Student Suicide: Security Beefed-Up Outside Institute, Students Seek Welfare Reforms
In the Solanki case, police registered a case of abetment to suicide against an unidentified person under Section 306 of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, more than a month after his death, following persistent pressure from his family.
IIT Bombay has not yet issued a public statement on the allegations raised by his family. It remains unclear whether a formal police complaint has been filed in connection with the case.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.