28 October,2026 08:01 AM IST | Mumbai | Aditi Alurkar
Sahil Wakode’s parents interact with the media. Pics/Ashish Raje
After 21 days of protest at Azad Maidan, the parents of Sahil Wakode, who was found dead in his hostel room at IIT Bombay's Powai campus last month, now intend to shift their agitation to the institute, demanding answers and accountability over his death.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Sahil's father, Ravindra Wakode, said he and his wife, Sonali, had received no response from the authorities despite writing to them. He has now sought the chief minister's intervention and said the family plans to protest at IIT Bombay.
The parents have also questioned the institute's internal committee report, alleging that it could be biased and interfere with the ongoing police investigation. "We have lost faith in the police, and we demand a change in the investigating officer," Ravindra said.
Student organisations have said they will continue protesting in solidarity with Sahil, even if it means risking detention by the police. "It says a lot that the police have not detained the accused in the FIR, but they have detained the students," said Samya Korde.
The student groups have vowed to continue their protests as the family presses for answers and seeks changes to the ongoing investigation. IIT Bombay did not share a comment.
The family and its legal team have sought an explanation for an alleged gap in the CCTV footage and demanded records of all calls Sahil made between his examination and his death.
Advocate Siddharth Ingle, who represents the family, alleged that Sahil had been taken to the head of department's room and that other professors had subsequently been called in. He questioned whether the procedure followed was in keeping with IIT Bombay's standard operating procedure.
"We have learnt that Sahil was taken to the HOD's room and more professors were called in. This was not the SOP laid out by the IITB. Moreover, we can also believe that Sahil's phone was compromised because it was with the professor," Ingle said.
