IIT Bombay Protest: RPI (A), Bharat Mukti Morcha Activists Detained Over Student Sahil Wakode’s Suicide, Demand Justice Amid Caste Discrimination Allegations | Video

Mumbai: Police on Tuesday detained dozens of activists belonging to the RPI (A) and Bharat Mukti Morcha after they staged a protest outside the main gate of IIT Bombay over the death of 22-year-old student Sahil Wakode, an official said.

The protesters, carrying placards and shouting slogans, demanded justice for the deceased student and sought the resignation of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

"Protesters from the Bharat Mukti Morcha gathered outside the main campus gate without permission. They were immediately removed from the spot, taken into preventive custody, and brought to the Powai police station for further legal proceedings," a senior police official said.

Shortly after, workers of the Ramdas Athawale-led Republican Party of India (A) also assembled near the gate, shouting slogans in support of Wakode. Police personnel moved in swiftly to clear the area and detained them as well, the official added.

Meanwhile, opinions among students on campus were divided over the ongoing agitations.

Utkarsh Gangwar, a mechanical engineering student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, dismissed allegations of institutional prejudice while acknowledging student grievances against certain faculty members.

"There is no caste-based discrimination against students at IIT Bombay. However, there is some resentment among students regarding Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, as his strict rules occasionally cause discomfort," he claimed.

"But the ongoing protests outside are no longer required, as the institute's director has already accepted 18 key demands presented by the students. Those still protesting may be influenced by external political groups," he added.

Security was heightened around the campus in view of the protests.

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On Monday, police detained Youth Congress workers protesting outside the IIT Bombay gate over the student’s suicide.

Wakode (22), a second-year BTech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found hanging in his hostel room on the Powai campus on September 18 evening, hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination, according to officials.

The institute on Monday removed Doolla as the dean of Administrative Affairs following protests by students and political activists over Wakode's suicide, which led to a case of abetment and caste discrimination registered against him.

The Mumbai Police have booked Doolla under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, following a complaint lodged by Wakode's family.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)