19/10/2026
ASA condemns the brutal detention of protesters against the institutional murder of Sahil Wakode
A month long protest against the institutional murder of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode intervened with brutal police detention of students, activists and his parents who are on a relay hunger strike at Azad Maidan, Mumbai. The students had been protesting at the Justice Corner in the campus demanding accountability and arrest of Professor Suryanarayan Doolla who threatened Sahil for a year long suspension during exam invigilation which is not in the invigilation manual and directs casteist vilification. The ingrained caste-based discrimination and harassment in the institution is also wide on the surface with this detention.
The police has coercively detained the protesters using excessive force including tearing clothes, kicking, choking and manhandling, inappropriate touching and physical assault of female students. Subsequently the campus security and police dismantled the protest site and forcibly removed the other participants. It shows that safety and dignity of the students, their fundamental right to peaceful protest are under grave concern as the lack of accountability from the administration continues.
The crackdown at the protest site, heckling of students by the Director and security personnel who were questioning the administration’s conduct reveals the active role of the administration of IIT Bombay and highlights institutional apathy towards the lives of marginalized students.
Ambedkar Students Association condemns this brutal detention, stands in solidarity with the protesters and reiterate the demands by Justice for Sahil.
We demand :-
1. Justice for Sahil Wakode and a transparent response to the questions raised by his family, students, and the wider community.
2. Immediate accountability for the alleged police violence, including an independent investigation into the conduct of the officers involved and the authorities who authorised the operation.
3. An immediate meeting with Sahil's parents, the Chairperson of the Board of Governors, and the Director of IIT Bombay to hear and address their demands.
4. Protection of students' rights to peaceful protest, with an assurance that no student will face intimidation, retaliation, or disciplinary action for raising concerns about caste discrimination and institutional accountability.
5. A time-bound inquiry into the allegations of caste discrimination and institutional casteism raised by the protesting students, with meaningful measures to ensure dignity, equality, and accountability within the institute.
The brutal treatment meted out to students demanding justice is unacceptable. An educational institution must be a place where questions can be raised, grievances can be heard, and students can seek justice without fear of violence or intimidation. The use of police force to silence dissent cannot substitute for dialogue, accountability, or justice.
Students' voices cannot be silenced through force. Justice for Sahil must not be denied, and the fight against institutional casteism must continue until accountability is secured.
