IIT Bombay students began a hunger strike on Friday, demanding dissolution of the committee investigating Sahil Wakode's death and alleging bias over members' support for Professor Suryanarayana Doolla. They sought an external panel with no current IIT Bombay employee or student. The family's caste-discrimination allegations remain under Mumbai Crime Branch investigation, according to the report.

Mumbai: Students at IIT Bombay have demanded the dissolution of the internal committee investigating Sahil Wakode’s death, alleging that several members had publicly supported Professor Suryanarayana Doolla before the inquiry concluded. The demand forms a central part of their hunger strike, which began on Friday, October 2, after 14 days of campus protests.

Impartiality Of Inquiry Questioned

In their announcement, the students said the committee’s composition raised concerns about the impartiality of the investigation. They sought an independent external panel, with no current IIT Bombay employee or student among its members.

The protesters proposed that at least two individuals from among Bhalchandra Mungekar, Sukhadeo Thorat, P. Sainath and Ram Punyani be included in the reconstituted committee. They also demanded that its members have no previous allegations of caste-based discrimination against them.