Varsha Gaikwad detained at IIT-Bombay protest over Sahil Wakode death

Police on Thursday detained Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad, several party workers and NSUI activists who had gathered outside IIT Bombay to protest over the death of student Sahil Wakode. Speaking during the protest, Gaikwad called the incident an "institutional murder" and demanded a comprehensive investigation.

Wakode, 22, a second-year BTech student at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, was found hanging 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 alleged caste-based discrimination and harassment, while the institute has disputed the charges.

Gaikwad, other Congress workers and members of the National Students' Union of India, the party's students' wing, had gathered outside the institute's Powai campus to stage a protest and express solidarity with Wakode's family.

Police detained Congress workers before the protest could begin and later also took Gaikwad into custody when she reached the spot.

A police official said the parliamentarian and several other activists, including women workers, were rounded up and taken to the local police station for further legal action.

Heavy security was deployed outside the institute's gate, and senior officers, including Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade and local Assistant Commissioners of Police, were present to review the situation.

During the protest, Gaikwad extended support to Wakode's family and sought a thorough probe into his death.

"This is not the first incident at IIT. We want accountability," she said, while also accusing the RSS of "infiltrating" higher education institutions. "The BJP and RSS have damaged the education system, and such incidents are happening repeatedly," she charged.

Gaikwad also alleged that students face humiliation and difficulties because of their caste or religion, and said the issue needed to be examined as an institutional matter.

"I feel this is institutional. Children are humiliated and made to suffer, particularly if they come from a particular religion or caste," she claimed. "The case is with the Crime Branch. There should be a proper investigation, and the family needs justice," she said.

Gaikwad said Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had spoken to Wakode's parents and assured them of support in their fight for justice.

Sources told PTI that Gandhi made a video call to the parents when they were travelling to Mumbai from Washim district, and that in the nearly 17-minute conversation he told them he was with them and would provide all possible help.

"Congress stands firmly with the family members of the deceased student, and Rahul Gandhi has assured them of all possible support," Gaikwad said.

The protest outside IIT Bombay brought the focus back on the circumstances surrounding Wakode's death, with Congress demanding accountability and a proper Crime Branch investigation, while police detained the demonstrators and maintained heavy security at the campus.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 24, 2026 16:21 IST