Sahil Wakode’s parents sit on a hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Thursday. (Express photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)A month after IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode died by suicide, his parents were detained by Mumbai Police on Sunday while sitting at a protest site inside the campus, along with protesting students. The police also demolished the protest site near the institute’s main gate, where students had been protesting for the past month.Sahil’s parents, Ravindra and Sonali Wakode, had arrived at the campus to pay homage to their son, who died on September 18. His father also submitted a letter to the institute’s Registrar.According to the family’s lawyer, Siddhartha Ingale, the police detained the couple soon after Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad left the site after meeting them. Ingale said he was also detained along with the parents.“The parents were only sitting at the protest site, where the father had submitted a letter to the Registrar. Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad was present to meet them. But soon after she left, the police detained the parents along with me and the protesting students,” Ingale said.He said the police were taking them to Azad Maidan police station.Earlier, around 10 students were detained from the protest site before Sahil’s parents arrived. They were released shortly afterwards and returned to the site to join the protest in support of the family.Ingale said the police later asked Ravindra Wakode to leave the site. Wakode refused to leave until the detained student activists were released, following which he and his wife were detained, he said.Story continues below this adAround 16 students present at the site were also allegedly forcibly taken away in a police bus as the protest site was cleared and demolished.Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting. Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive: Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses). Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers. Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis). Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students. Credentials & Trustworthiness Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized. Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families. She tweets @Pallavi_Smart ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on InstagramTags:Mumbai