Sahil Wakode’s parents stage hunger strike at Azad Maidan, demand professor’s arrest

Sahil Wakode's parents staged a hunger strike at Azad Maidan on Monday, demanding the arrest of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who is mentioned in the FIR connected to their son's suicide. Ravindra and Sonali Wakode began protesting at 10 a.m. and continued until around 6:30 p.m. They now seek to resume their agitation from 9 a.m. on Tuesday, according to their handwritten application to the senior police inspector.

The family's advocate, Nikhil Kamble, submitted the request, expressing their desire for justice and Doolla's arrest. The family also criticized IIT Bombay's internal inquiry into Sahil's death, asserting that none of the committee members had contacted them. IIT Bombay established a 10-member committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding Sahil's suicide, which initially had a week to complete the inquiry but has been granted a one-week extension.

Doolla, the course instructor and invigilator during Sahil's mid-semester examination, has been accused of caste-based discrimination and harassment by the parents. The police registered an FIR against him for abetment to suicide and offenses under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, with the investigation ongoing.

IIT Bombay relieved Doolla of his administrative duties and placed him on leave pending the inquiries. The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is investigating the case by recording statements, examining CCTV footage, and gathering digital evidence. This was not the Wakodes' first protest at Azad Maidan; they staged a hunger strike last week after being denied the right to protest outside the IIT Bombay campus. They temporarily halted the protest but warned they would resume if no arrest was made.