IIT Bombay protest: APPSC condemns alleged police action, raises concern over casteist abuse

The Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC) at IIT Bombay has alleged that Powai police detained protesting students twice on October 18 and subjected them to violence while they were demanding accountability over the death of student Sahil Wakode. In a statement dated October 21, the group said students had been staging a sit-in protest for 30 days when eight students were detained after police and campus security allegedly resorted to violence . It said the students had questioned why police personnel were entering the campus in large numbers and frequently, and who had authorised their entry.

According to the statement, a police car approached a student in a manner that caused panic, prompting another student to jump onto the car to avoid being run over. The group alleged that police took advantage of the situation to detain eight students, including one who was on hunger strike that day.

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The statement said that after their release, students returned to the campus, where Sahil Wakode’s parents had gathered to pay tribute to their son on the one-month anniversary of his death. The parents sought to meet an authority at the institute but were informed that the Chairman of the Board of Governors, with whom they had an appointment, was unwell and hospitalised.

APPSC alleged that police detained students again while Wakode’s parents waited at the protest site. It further claimed that portraits of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule, Savitribai Phule, Mahatma Gandhi, Birsa Munda, Shivaji Maharaj and Bhagat Singh were mishandled and broken during the detention.

The group alleged that students were dragged by their hair, choked and beaten, and that their clothes were torn, leaving several injured.

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APPSC alleges casteist narratives against protesting students

The statement accused the IIT Bombay administration of giving right-wing groups a free hand to target protesting students and spread casteist narratives about Sahil Wakode and those seeking justice for him.

It also alleged that posters were torn down, the protest site was cleared and the area was converted into a site for Dussehra celebrations. The group said these actions raised concerns about the removal of symbols, demands and the presence of marginalised students from public view.

APPSC further alleged that students faced targeted abuse on social media platforms and WhatsApp groups, including casteist slurs and narratives directed at Wakode, his parents, protesting students and those who support reservations.

The statement said the administration’s response to the protest raised questions about the treatment of students demanding accountability over Wakode’s death. It also alleged that a section of students had been intimidating the campus community through abusive messages.

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APPSC condemns police action and administration

APPSC alleged that the administration had shown intolerance towards criticism and had failed to engage meaningfully with questions about its conduct and institutional responsibility for Wakode’s death.

The group said students continued their protest at the main building, demanding justice for Wakode and campus democracy. It condemned the actions of Powai police and what it described as collusion between the police and IIT Bombay administration to detain, harass, abuse and manhandle students for asking questions and demanding accountability.

The statement concluded by expressing solidarity with the protesting students and describing their struggle as a demand for a campus free from caste discrimination, with equality, fraternity, democracy and institutional accountability.

Separately, Nagina MP and Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) national president Chandrashekhar Azad has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking a CBI probe into Sahil Wakode’s death and an inquiry into the alleged harsh treatment of students during the protests. In his letter dated October 20, Azad called for an impartial examination of evidence, including Wakode’s mobile phone, examination room records and institutional documents. He also urged authorities to ensure that the investigation into Wakode’s death and the alleged police conduct did not adversely affect the protesting students’ education and academic futures.