In a tragic escalation following the death of 20-year-old undergraduate student Sahil Wakode at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, his father, Ravindra Wakode, has issued an ultimatum to launch an indefinite hunger strike in Mumbai if officials named in the First Information Report (FIR) are not immediately arrested.
Sahil, a second-year BTech student hailing from Yavatmal, Maharashtra, was found dead in his campus hostel room on 18 September. The family filed a police complaint invoking charges of abetment of suicide alongside provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, citing severe caste-based harassment. In response, the Mumbai Police transferred the probe to the Crime Branch, whilst the IIT Bombay administration constituted a 10-member inquiry committee and asked a named senior professor to proceed on leave pending an independent investigation.
A Father’s Agony
Grief turned into resolve outside the institute’s gates as Ravindra Wakode and his wife, Sonali, refused to accept administrative reassurances without concrete accountability.
The grieving father questioned the inaction against the individuals named in the police complaint, demanding the prompt arrest of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla and Director Shireesh Kedare before further inquiries proceed. “No action has been taken. Why haven’t they arrested them? All we want is for our son to get justice,” Mr Wakode stated during a press briefing, affirming that the family plans to stage a peaceful fast in Powai. The family’s legal counsel, Advocate Nikhil Kamble, reiterated that a fair and impartial investigation by the Crime Branch cannot be compromised by internal administrative delays.
Meanwhile, IIT Bombay’s Board of Governors set up a high-level committee headed by the Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIT Palakkad, Ramesh Venkateswaran, alongside student representatives and external experts, requesting a week to submit findings.
Institutional Scrutiny
The tragedy has reignited intense debate surrounding student welfare, systemic pressure, and caste-based discrimination across premier Indian academic institutions.
Sahil’s parents recounted that he had confided in them about persistent discriminatory remarks and isolation just days prior to his demise, advice they had initially urged him to overlook in favour of his academic focus—a recommendation they now recall with profound heartache. Following the incident, the IIT Bombay administration faced widespread student demonstrations demanding transparent systemic reforms and accountability. The administration publicly retracted and apologised for an initial communication detailing alleged disciplinary issues prior to Sahil’s passing, acknowledging that characterizing unverified circumstances prematurely was inappropriate.
With student collectives marching peacefully on campus and faculty bodies seeking adherence to due process, calls have intensified nationwide for institutional environments to be held genuinely accountable to the emotional and social safety of their scholars.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Institutions of higher learning should be sanctuaries of intellect, empathy, and personal flourishing—not arenas where young minds feel crushed under hostility or indifference.
Every student who enters an elite campus carries the dreams of an entire family, and the recurring loss of promising lives highlights deep structural cracks in how our educational spaces nurture human dignity. Healing this crisis demands more than ad-hoc inquiry committees; it requires an active, empathetic dismantling of caste prejudice, accessible mental health support, and transparent administrative cultures rooted in dialogue and genuine care. Compassion and equality must become the cornerstone of academic excellence, ensuring that no young learner feels unheard or unprotected.
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