The controversy surrounding the tragic death of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay undergraduate student Sahil Wakode has rapidly transformed into an intense political battleground. In a development that reveals how deeply institutional party machinery has embedded itself into the issue, Advocate Nikhil Kamble—the legal counsel representing Wakode’s grieving parents—has been identified as an active organizational functionary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress.

Kamble has served as one of the primary public spokespersons for Wakode’s family, steering public messaging, insisting on the immediate arrest of those named in the First Information Report (FIR), and pressing for an investigation supervised by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch. On Wednesday, Kamble escalated tensions further by publicly alleging that the Mumbai Police had made an illicit attempt to move Wakode’s parents out of Mumbai against their will. Law enforcement authorities firmly rejected this accusation, stating that the parents had personally requested police assistance to be escorted home to Yavatmal.

Kamble’s formal party affiliation is central to understanding the coordinated momentum driving the case. Far from being a politically detached attorney, Kamble has long held organizational roles within the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress, contributing directly to its legal and Right to Information (RTI) wings. His professional credentials on LinkedIn confirm his standing as a Maharashtra Youth Congress functionary. Concurrently, the Youth Congress mobilized its own cadre on Wednesday, mounting massive demonstrations outside the main gates of IIT Bombay to demand justice for Wakode.

Kamble's public digital footprint further reflects his dual standing in partisan and ideological activism. His Facebook profile explicitly describes him as an “Ambedkarite”, an “Advocate”, and a “Criminal lawyer”. In a post dated July 13, 2024, Kamble noted that he had received formal appreciation for his “legal work and services” from Indian Youth Congress National In-charge Krishna Allavaru and then-National President Srinivas BV.

The fact that an active, senior Youth Congress functionary is providing legal direction to the family—precisely while national and state units of the Congress party orchestrate demonstrations, sit-ins, and media campaigns around the incident—demonstrates how the tragedy has been brought into the wider arena of electoral and ideological contestation.

Anatomy of the Incident: Exam Hall Evidence, Conflicting Claims, and Institute Action

Sahil Wakode, a 20-year-old (also recorded in police documentation as 22) second-year BTech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, died by suicide on the afternoon of September 18. His passing occurred only hours after an incident in an examination hall, where invigilators allegedly caught him using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.

Following his death, Wakode’s parents alleged that their son had been subjected to relentless caste-based harassment on campus. They specifically accused Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, the then-Dean of Student Affairs, of making casteist remarks. On the basis of the family’s complaint, police registered an FIR invoking charges of abetment to suicide alongside strict provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The administration at IIT Bombay has disputed the caste-discrimination narrative, clarifying that Wakode had never submitted a formal complaint—either to the institute’s general administration or to its specialized SC/ST Students Cell. While his parents maintain that their son had verbally recounted incidents of caste-based slurs and mental distress to them, these competing claims now form a primary axis of the official investigation.

Crucially, the empirical evidence regarding what actually transpired in the exam hall has centered on surveillance recordings. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage obtained by investigators captured Wakode's actions inside the hall between 12:30 PM and 12:45 PM on September 18. According to the preliminary findings of the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, with roughly 15 minutes remaining before the conclusion of the paper, Sahil was seen bending downward to inspect something concealed in his pocket. Professor Doolla noticed the behavior, questioned him, and led him away from the rest of the examinees.

Investigating officers have mapped the subsequent moments leading up to the tragedy: “After leaving the examination hall, Sahil moved across the campus. He reached his hostel room at approximately 1.25pm. He did not step out of the room thereafter,” a Crime Branch official said. The formal inquiry is currently headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, under the direct supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection-I), Crime Branch. Senior officers have specifically appealed to political groups and the public to refrain from circulating unverified speculation or drawing premature conclusions.

Adding to the evidentiary complexity, an account provided by a close friend of Wakode directly diverged from the narrative being advanced publicly. The peer stated that caste discrimination was not something he ever associated with Wakode’s day-to-day experience at the institute, though he corroborated that Wakode had indeed been caught cheating during the examination. While peer statements do not legally dismiss the family’s claims, they underscore why legal authorities stress that competing claims must undergo objective, independent verification rather than being treated as foregone conclusions.

In response to the tragedy, IIT Bombay constituted a 10-member internal committee to thoroughly examine the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death and assess the grievances submitted by his family. Professor Doolla was relieved of his administrative responsibilities as Dean of Student Affairs and placed on mandatory leave to facilitate an impartial probe.

However, several current and former IIT Bombay colleagues have spoken out in support of Doolla, openly objecting to the suspension of his deanship. Sharad Kumar Saraf, a former Chairman of the institute’s Board of Governors, publicly defended the professor's integrity: “I have known Professor Doolla. During my tenure as Chairman of the Board of Governors of IIT, he was the Dean of Students' Affairs, one of the most upright professors that we have.” Saraf rejected the allegation that caste had been raised or discussed during the invigilation, asserting that the issue was introduced only after the student's death.

Orchestrated Campus Agitations: Protests, Vigils, and Maximalist Demands

The Mumbai Pradesh Youth Congress has taken the lead in executing continuous street-level and campus actions. Under the guidance of Mumbai Pradesh Youth Congress State President Zeenat Shabrin, party cadres have pressed forward with aggressive, coordinated actions designed to force administrative concessions:

• Campus Blockades and Vigils at Powai: Under Shabrin's leadership, Youth Congress activists organized demonstrations outside the primary gates of IIT Bombay in Powai, demanding justice for Sahil. These rallies led to high friction with security forces, resulting in the detention of several party workers. Simultaneously, the organization arranged evening candlelight vigils and memorial programs across Mumbai to honor Sahil's memory and consolidate public solidarity.
• Demands for Administrative Dismissals: Moving beyond standard calls for an inquiry, Shabrin demanded the immediate termination of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla from his academic post entirely, rejecting the institute's decision to merely send him on leave while keeping his faculty position intact. Furthermore, Shabrin publicly demanded the resignation of IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare, accusing the institute of systemic administrative failure and a total breakdown in student welfare.
• Intervention in Police Evidence Handling: Alongside Indian Youth Congress National President Uday Bhanu Chib, Shabrin addressed a press conference insisting that the Mumbai Police Crime Branch immediately turn over Sahil’s personal electronic gadgets and digital data directly to his parents.

Amplifying Claims of Campus Fear: Speaking to the Press Trust of India (PTI), Shabrin asserted that the incident reflects deep-seated institutional failings across the higher education system. She claimed that several students interviewed on the Powai campus were “very scared”* and hesitant to step forward due to alleged fears of institutional backlash, disciplinary retaliation, or academic career sabotage.

• Integrated Legal and Family Support: Shabrin announced that the Mumbai Youth Congress had formally teamed up with legal professionals—prominently featuring Advocate Nikhil Kamble—to manage the legal strategy and guide Sahil's parents as they recorded their official depositions with the Crime Branch.

High-Profile Interventions: How Congress Leadership Steered the Political Narrative

The mobilization around the tragedy has seen direct, high-level involvement from the senior-most echelons of the Congress party, utilizing the event to launch sustained attacks against institutional governance and political rivals.

Rahul Gandhi (Leader of the Opposition, Lok Sabha): Party sources confirmed to PTI that Rahul Gandhi placed a 17-minute direct video call to Sahil’s parents, Ravindra and Sonali Wakode, while they were traveling by road from Washim district to Mumbai. Gandhi assured the grieving couple of all possible assistance and asserted that the Congress party was fully committed to fighting their legal battle. Notably, Indian Youth Congress National President Uday Bhanu Chib and Maharashtra Youth Congress Chief Shivraj More were physically traveling with and seated alongside the parents during this video conference, illustrating the party’s hands-on management of the family's logistics and outreach.

Varsha Gaikwad (Mumbai Congress President and Member of Parliament): On Thursday, heavy police deployment and perimeter barricades were set up outside the main entrance of IIT Bombay in Powai following an aggressive protest spearheaded by Varsha Gaikwad. Flanked by dozens of party workers and members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), Gaikwad mounted an agitation demanding an independent judicial inquiry. The protest led to heavy clashes with law enforcement, and Gaikwad was detained alongside numerous party workers and taken to a local police station. Senior police officers, including Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade and local Assistant Commissioners of Police, were deployed on-site to maintain order.

Addressing the media during the protest, Gaikwad linked the tragedy directly to national political and ideological dynamics:

“Rahul ji spoke with the family and assured them: 'We will fight your battle, and we will ensure justice for Sahil.' This isn't an isolated event at IIT Bombay. Incidents like this have occurred multiple times before, and we had demanded a thorough inquiry. We see education being systematically RSS-ised, religious division being stoked, and blatant disparity being practiced. When we come here to question this, they use the police force to muzzle and suppress us. My question is: what has the BJP done to the education system?”

Criticizing administrative appointments across premier academic institutions, Gaikwad declared:

“A thorough investigation is essential, and this ideological capture of the education system must end. From Vice-Chancellors to key administrative posts, political appointments are rampant.”

Refusing to accept the incident as an individual act of suicide, Gaikwad framed the death as an ideological failure of the state, labeling it an “institutional murder”:

“We see that the RSS has infiltrated universities and IITs, creating massive casteism and communalism there. In our view, the unfortunate death of Sahil Wakode—or what is being termed a suicide is not a suicide; it is an institutional death. Someone needs to be held accountable for this today. If you look at the student and faculty ratios across universities, you will clearly see the widespread bias and disparity. Everyone knows what caste discrimination is and what students have to endure because of it.”

When detained by police forces, Gaikwad confronted officers, asserting:

“I don't understand why the police are treating us like this. We have come here to protest in a peaceful manner. Sahil Wakode must get justice; that is our clear stance here. Even before coming here, the police have continuously tried to take us away. As you can see behind me, they are still trying to pull me away. What is all of this for? The Constitution of this country grants me the right to speak! I am an independent citizen! The Constitution gives me this right!”

Commenting on video clips of the exam hall incident that were broadcast on television, Gaikwad demanded full public disclosure: “You mention a video; I want the complete truth to come out in public.”

Uday Bhanu Chib (National President, Indian Youth Congress): Chib held direct discussions with the family to articulate a series of procedural demands, telling reporters that the family wants the trial handled by a specialized fast-track court. Chib insisted that the faculty members implicated in the case be jailed immediately without waiting for the investigation to conclude, arguing that keeping them free creates an immediate risk of evidence tampering.

Shivraj More (Maharashtra Youth Congress Chief): More provided direct operational assistance to the family, accompanying Ravindra and Sonali Wakode throughout their journey to Mumbai and coordinating joint ground activities between regional youth cadres and national leaders.

National Students' Union of India (NSUI): The student wing of the Congress party maintained a round-the-clock presence at the site, staging joint sit-ins, coordinating press conferences, and attempting gate blockades outside the campus grounds to sustain public momentum.

Detention of Sahil Wakode’s Father Ahead of Planned Hunger Strike

The family had publicly announced that they would launch an indefinite hunger strike directly outside the gates of IIT Bombay starting at 11:00 AM on Thursday, demanding a comprehensive investigation into the events leading to their son's death and immediate punitive action based on those findings.

However, as Sahil’s father, Ravindra Wakode, traveled toward the Powai campus to begin the fast, Mumbai Police intervened and detained him in Bhandup. Police stated that the detention was necessary to prevent a law-and-order disruption outside the premier educational institute. Meanwhile, the legal team and political backers reiterated that the planned strike was intended as a peaceful, democratic appeal for full accountability and a transparent investigation.