A severe controversy has gripped the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay following the suspicious death of a student on its Powai campus, prompting widespread student protests and high-level official scrutiny. Seeking justice, the grieving parents have launched an indefinite hunger strike at Mumbai's Azad Maidan, alleging systematic caste-based discrimination and relentless mental harassment within the institution. As tensions escalated across administrative and political spheres, National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Chairman Kishor Makwana visited the campus to conduct an on-site inquiry and review ongoing police investigations.
Discovery of the Body in Powai Hostel and Crime Branch Probe
The tragedy came to light on September 18, 2026, when 22-year-old Sahil Wakode was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his hostel room inside the Powai campus. Sahil was a second-year undergraduate in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, hailing originally from Yavatmal in Maharashtra. Rejecting any suggestion of a routine suicide, his family maintained that he was driven to take the extreme step due to sustained hostility. They asserted that Sahil had been repeatedly subjected to casteist slurs and intense harassment. Following a sharp wave of fury from student bodies and political groups, Mumbai Police transferred the investigation directly to the Crime Branch.
Parents Stage Fast at Azad Maidan Demanding Key Arrests
Devastated by their loss, Sahil's parents, Ravindra and Sonali Wakode, took their fight for accountability to the streets. According to their advocate, Siddharth Ingle, the parents began a hunger strike at Azad Maidan to demand immediate action. His mother, Sonali Wakode, highlighted her son's exceptional track record, noting that he was slated to lead a 50-member team for robotics and AI events and had earned a selection at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). She argued that someone with such bright prospects would never end his life unless pushed beyond endurance by institutional hostility.
The family has demanded the immediate arrest of IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare and Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, along with stringent prosecution. Under mounting pressure, the institute administration removed Professor Doolla from his post as Dean of Administrative Affairs. Furthermore, the institute deferred the scheduled mid-semester examinations from September 26-27 to October 10-11 to maintain calm across the campus.
NCSC Intervention, Police Review, and Fast-Track Demands
Recognizing the gravity of the allegations, NCSC Chairman Kishor Makwana conducted a direct inspection of the campus, assessing the location where the tragedy occurred. Makwana met with Sahil's parents, listening to their grievances and offering assurances of a thorough and impartial review. The commission also held a high-level review meeting with the Mumbai Police Commissioner and senior Crime Branch officials to examine the case files and progress made in the probe.
An FIR has been registered against Professor Suryanarayana Doolla under charges of abetment to suicide and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The family and student representatives are now urging authorities to place the trial before a fast-track court, seeking swift legal accountability to ensure other students are spared similar ordeal in premier higher educational institutions.
