The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay administration had not called the police to the campus on Sunday, October 18, Deputy Director Milind Atrey told faculty members on Thursday, October 22, according to Careers360, which said it had seen a copy of his email, and Mirror Now, which reported the same clarification.

Source: Careers360

Around 20 students protesting over the death of Sahil Wakode, a second-year BTech student who died last month, were detained on October 18. The institute confirmed that all the detained students were released later the same day.

Source: Mirror Now

Atrey said the police presence was linked to the visit of Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad and MLA Aslam Shaikh to the protest site, and coincided with a visit by Wakode's parents, who had been given permission to visit the campus. The administration said it had offered its condolences and support to the parents.

The email was a response to 21 faculty members who wrote on October 20 demanding to know who authorised the entry of police into the campus, and seeking clarifications on the alleged use of force against students and the handling of their belongings during the protest and detentions. Careers360 reported that a professor has questioned the deputy director's account and the timeline in his response.

On the belongings, the administration said items left behind by students at the main gate had been collected because they were obstructing the entrance, had been secured, and would be returned to their owners through the institute's standard lost-and-found procedures.

Wakode's family have alleged that he faced caste-based discrimination at the institute — an allegation the family has made in its complaint, and which remains under investigation. The institute has not commented on that allegation in Thursday's clarification.