24 September,2026 02:44 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad was detained during a protest outside IIT Bombay over student Sahil Wakode’s death. File pic
Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad and several party workers and NSUI activists were detained on Thursday while protesting outside IIT Bombay in Mumbai over the death of student Sahil Wakode, a police official said.
The protesters gathered outside the institute's Powai campus to express solidarity with Wakode's family and seek justice in the case.
Police detained Gaikwad along with several Congress workers and members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress, during the demonstration.
A police official said the parliamentarian and several 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 to prevent any untoward incident. Senior police officers, including Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade and local Assistant Commissioners of Police, were present at the spot and monitored the situation.
Speaking to reporters during the protest, Gaikwad accused the ruling establishment of harming the education system and described the incident as an "institutional murder."
"The BJP and RSS have damaged the education system, and such incidents are happening repeatedly," she alleged.
"Congress stands firmly with the family members of the deceased student, and (party MP) Rahul Gandhi has assured them of all possible support," she added.
The protest followed the death of Wakode, a 22-year-old second-year BTech student at IIT Bombay. He was found hanging in his hostel room on the Powai campus on the evening of September 18.
The incident occurred hours after Wakode was allegedly caught using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.
Wakode's parents have alleged that he had told them about caste-based slurs he faced. The allegations have emerged as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is investigating the case. The student's death had earlier triggered protests on the IIT Bombay campus, with students and family members raising concerns about the circumstances leading up to the incident.
Thursday's protest by Congress and NSUI workers was held outside the institute amid heightened security arrangements.
(With inputs from PTI)
