'Did not ask cops to detain': IIT Bombay admin after faculty raises 'forceful' detention of students

The institute claimed the police were present on campus on Thursday due to the visit of Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad and MLA Aslam Shaikh.

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) says it did not ask the police to detain the protesting parents of the student who died by suicide last month, or dismantle the protest site on campus on Sunday. Neither had it asked the police to detain the students “seeking justice” for the deceased boy.

Students and parents from various student organisations gather outside the IIT Bombay gate in Powai, Mumbai, to protest in support of Sahil Wakhode after police arrested protesters in Mumbai. (Satish Bate/ HT Photo)

On Thursday, the institute claimed the police were present on campus due to the visit of Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad and MLA Aslam Shaikh, which coincided with the parents’ presence at the institute.

IIT-B responds after faculty's letter

The statement came after around 20 professors from IIT-B emailed the institute director on Wednesday, over the police intervention on campus on October 18.

According to the administration, the protesting students behaved aggressively towards police and obstructed them from carrying out their duties shortly before both the MP and the parents arrived. Police detained the students and released them by evening.

The incident also comes after the deceased students’ parents requested permission to visit the IIT-B campus, a wish that was granted.

In its email to the professors, the IIT-B administration also said personal belongings of the students that were allegedly blocking the campus entrance would be returned.

However, the professors claimed the institute’s response did not address the circumstances leading to the students’ detention and the handling of their belongings.