Story perspectives

IIT Bombay Hunger Strike Demands Resignations After Wakode Death

By Drooid · Oct 3, 2026, 4:05 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

IIT Bombay Students Hungerstrike

IIT Bombay students began a hunger strike on October 2, 2026, demanding accountability for Sahil Wakode’s death.
Students submitted an 18-point charter demanding Director Shireesh Kedare’s resignation, Professor Doolla’s suspension, and an external panel.
Parents Ravindra and Sonali Wakode have been on an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan since September 29, 2026.
They allege caste harassment, demand arrests of Kedare and Doolla, and a Crime Branch FIR cites abetment-to-suicide.

Summary

Crime Branch Interrogates Doolla

Mumbai Crime Branch interrogated Professor Suryanarayana Doolla for eight hours on October 2.
Investigators recorded statements from 40 people, including students, hostel staff and parents.
The team sent Wakode’s two phones, laptop and tablet to the Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory.
A Special Investigation Team asked IIT Bombay for documents to examine caste-bias and procedural compliance.
Faculty Forum chief Professor Rajkumar Pant said Doolla was being maligned for simply doing his job.

History

Historical Context

In August 1990 Prime Minister V. P. Singh announced the Mandal Commission’s 27 % OBC reservation for central jobs, triggering nationwide student protests that included Rajiv Goswami’s self-immolation and about 200 self-immolations overall, 62 of which were fatal. The Supreme Court later upheld the quota in its 2008 Ashoka Kumar Thakur judgment, a legal backdrop for today’s IIT Bombay hunger strike demanding accountability.

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IIT Bombay Students Hungerstrike

IIT Bombay students began a hunger strike on October 2, 2026, demanding accountability for Sahil Wakode’s death.
Students submitted an 18-point charter demanding Director Shireesh Kedare’s resignation, Professor Doolla’s suspension, and an external panel.
Parents Ravindra and Sonali Wakode have been on an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan since September 29, 2026.
They allege caste harassment, demand arrests of Kedare and Doolla, and a Crime Branch FIR cites abetment-to-suicide.

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