IIT Bombay Protest: Faculty question who authorised police to enter campus, detain students

Faculty members of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have raised concerns over police entry into the campus and detention of students protesting the death of BTech student Sahil Wakode. In an open letter dated October 19, 2026, addressed to IIT Bombay Director Prof. Kedare, they sought clarification on the events of October 18, when police allegedly roughed up and detained students protesting at the ‘Justice Corner’ near the institute’s main gate.

The faculty members said they had received accounts of the alleged physical violence faced by the students. According to the letter, the students reported that their hair was pulled, their private parts were squeezed, they were kicked and their necks were throttled. The signatories also said some institute functionaries were present when police allegedly used excessive force against students on campus.

“Whatever our response to the student protest, few among us are likely to countenance the police's forceful removal of students who have been sitting-in peaceful protest for the last many weeks,” the letter stated.

The faculty members acknowledged that there were differing views within the institute about the protest. While some considered it irrelevant, a nuisance or damaging to IIT Bombay’s reputation, others viewed it as a call for the institute to reflect on its commitment and responsibility towards education and students, particularly in light of the recent student suicide and the institute’s history of student suicides.

Also read IIT Bombay scraps stricter cheating rules, restores original ‘student-friendly’ norms after campus suicide

IIT Bombay faculty question police action against students

The letter raised seven questions concerning the police action, the role of institute officials and the handling of students’ belongings. The faculty members first asked whether any IIT Bombay functionary had authorised the Mumbai Police to enter the campus and detain the protesters around noon on October 18. They questioned why eight students were detained during what they described as a month-long peaceful protest.

The letter also pointed out that the protest site included images of Savitribai Phule, Jyotirao Phule, Birsa Munda and BR Ambedkar. The signatories asked why the site was allegedly vandalised and what circumstances had changed for the administration to allow the police to take away the students.

They further stated that after the first detention at Powai Police Station, police returned and detained more than 20 students in a second round, allegedly using force. The faculty members sought clarification on who had authorised the second action.

Faculty question role of Dean of Student Affairs, chief security officer

The signatories said they had learnt that the Dean of Student Affairs (Dean SA) and the Chief Security Officer (CSO) were present during the incident. They questioned why neither official intervened when the students were allegedly being manhandled.

The letter also stated that students detained at the police station had tried to contact the Dean SA, the Quick Response Team (QRT) and the CSO for help, but their requests were allegedly not entertained. According to the faculty members, no institute functionary visited the police station to enquire about the students.

“What accounts for it?” the letter asked, referring to the alleged lack of response to the students’ requests for assistance.

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

IIT Bombay faculty raise concerns over students’ belongings

The letter also raised concerns about the students’ personal belongings, including slippers, books, bags and laptops. The signatories said these items remained in the institute’s possession and were not returned without the intervention of the Powai Police.

The faculty members said it was unclear whether the belongings had been officially seized. They questioned whether the prescribed legal procedure had been followed, including hashing the storage of digital devices and providing the hash value to their owners. They also asked whether the institute would formally lodge a complaint with the police if digital devices had been seized from students without following due procedure.

The faculty members further asked whether the IIT Bombay administration would file a complaint against the police officers responsible, seek the registration of a first information report (FIR) and pursue accountability for the alleged acts of violence against students, if the administration had not authorised the police action.

Faculty seek statement from administration

The signatories called on the institute to clarify the events and address the questions raised in the letter. They referred to IIT Bombay’s declared core values of “Accountability, Transparency and Empathy” and questioned what these commitments meant if the administration remained silent when students were allegedly subjected to physical violence on campus.

“Surely, an institute that claims to be invested in the well-being of its students should issue some clarifications regarding what happened yesterday,” the letter stated. The faculty members urged the IIT Bombay administration to issue a clear and comprehensive statement addressing their concerns.