IIT-B student’s parents allege they were taken to Washim against their will hours before hunger strike

MUMBAI: Hours before the parents of IIT-Bombay student who died by suicide were scheduled to begin a hunger strike outside the institute’s Powai campus, they alleged that they were forcibly taken out of Mumbai in a private car against their wishes early Wednesday and driven to Washim district, around 555km from Mumbai

MUMBAI: Hours before the parents of IIT-Bombay student who died by suicide were scheduled to begin a hunger strike outside the institute’s Powai campus, they alleged that they were forcibly taken out of Mumbai in a private car against their wishes early Wednesday and driven to Washim district, around 555km from Mumbai.

iMumbai, India - September 22, 2026: Parents of deceased IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode interact with the media outside the Bandra Crime Branch office in mumbai, India, on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The family said they had wanted to remain in Mumbai and begin their hunger strike outside IIT-Bombay on Wednesday morning, demanding the immediate arrest of named faculty members professor Suryanarayana Doolla and institute director Shireesh Kedare.

The parents, accompanied by their advocate, had met the media outside the Crime Branch office in Bandra on Tuesday after recording their statement. They demanded a probe into allegations of caste-based harassment of their child and said they had obtained permission to hold the hunger strike from Wednesday morning.

According to a person accompanying the family in the car, after they left the IIT-Bombay campus, some men in plain clothes asked the family to shift to another vehicle. The person said he was unaware of the men’s names but joined the family in the private car. He said a police vehicle was following them but disappeared after they entered the Samruddhi Expressway.

In a video shared on social media that has now gone viral, the family said they repeatedly asked the driver where they were being taken. They alleged that the driver kept telling them he was taking them home. The family said they were tired and sleepy at the time.

The student’s father also alleged that they had clearly told the people accompanying them that they did not want to return home. Instead, they wanted to stay in Mumbai and continue their protest over their son’s death.

The family later asked the driver to stop so they could use the washroom and got out of the vehicle. By early Wednesday morning, they had reached the Karanja Lad area in Washim district.

The parents said they are returning to Mumbai and will continue with their proposed hunger strike outside the IIT-Bombay campus.