Mumbai Police Detain Protesters at Candlelight Vigil for Dead IIT-Bombay Student Sahil Wakode

Protests in Mumbai

Mumbai Police detained between 20 and 25 people during a candlelight gathering at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar on Sunday, October 25, 2026. The protesters had gathered to demand justice for Sahil Wakode, a second-year B.Tech student who was found dead on the IIT-Bombay campus exactly a month earlier amid allegations of caste-based discrimination. Stand-up comedian Masoom Rajwani was among those taken into custody. Organised following a call by the Progressive Students Union, the vigil aimed to pay tribute to Wakode and demand an impartial investigation into his death. DCP Mahendra Pandit confirmed the detentions, stating that the march was unauthorised and that those held were later released from Tardeo, Worli, and Dadar police stations after 8:30 p.m.

Clashes and Allegations

Participants alleged that police forcibly removed several individuals, including women. Tejas Anoop from Aamchi Padhai Aamchi Ladai stated that police carried out two rounds of detentions around 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., targeting anyone carrying posters or suspected of being a protester. Mr. Rajwani stated that no march had begun and no candles had been lit when he arrived, adding that four officers carried him away by his arms and legs. This incident follows an earlier police entry into the IIT-Bombay campus on October 18, where students, activists from the All India Independent Schedule Caste Association, and Sahil's parents were detained at a protest corner. The Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle reported that portraits of social reformers were broken during that campus action. Records indicate 10 confirmed student suicides at IITs in 2026, with over 50 deaths across five years.

Context

Elite engineering campuses in India have faced mounting scrutiny over institutional pressures, student mental health, and the social dynamics surrounding caste. Protests of this nature highlight broader concerns regarding equity, administrative accountability, and the welfare of students from diverse backgrounds in premier higher education institutions.