# IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode’s parents to hold hunger strike

2026-09-28T07:18:20+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

The parents of Sahil Wakode, the 20-year-old IIT Bombay student who died by suicide on September 18, will sit on a hunger strike at Azad Maidan from Monday 10am. They demand the arrest of institute director Shireesh Kedare and professor Suryanarayana Doolla, whom they accuse of caste bias. Police have granted permission for the fast until 6pm. Meanwhile, the Crime Branch has recorded statements from over 25 people. A female friend told police that Sahil called her after his thermodynamics exam, expressing regret over cheating. Investigators have sent his iPhone to a forensic lab and requested data from WhatsApp to reconstruct his final hours. The institute has formed a 10-member committee for an internal inquiry. Police are yet to record Doolla's statement. The examination of digital evidence and CCTV footage is ongoing.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

Times of India frames the story around the family's hunger strike and demands, emphasizing the caste bias allegation and the parents' appeal to students. Tribune India and India Today focus on the police investigation, reporting that Sahil told a friend he regretted cheating before his death. The outlets agree on the core facts but Times of India foregrounds the institutional responsibility angle that the other two sources treat as an allegation being investigated. The caste discrimination claim is present in all sources but is given proportionally more weight by Times of India as the lead of the family's action, while the police sources centre on the digital evidence and call records. The investigation remains open, with the key unresolved element being technical analysis of Sahil's iPhone and WhatsApp data.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/iit-bombay-suicide-case-sahil-wakodes-parents-to-sit-on-hunger-strike-at-azad-maidan-on-monday/articleshow/134531766.cms>
  Leads with family's hunger strike and demands, foregrounding caste bias allegation
- tribuneindia.com (neutral report) <https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/before-death-iit-bombay-student-told-friend-he-regretted-copying-in-exam-police/>
  Leads with police findings on student's regret call, treats caste allegation as one aspect
- indiatoday.in (neutral report) <https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/iit-bombay-sahil-wakode-death-investigation-last-call-exam-stress-and-cheating-claim-probed-3004656-2026-09-28?utm_source=rss>
  Leads with friend's statement about cheating regret, cautious on verification

Tags: Crime Branch Mumbai, IIT Bombay, Sahil Wakode, Shireesh Kedare, Suryanarayana Doolla
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Cite: https://indianopinion.org/iit-bombay-suicide-parents-begin-hunger-strike-police-track-calls/#story-in-brief