Parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, whose death has sparked protests on the institute’s campus, began a hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Thursday after his father was detained while on his way to the institute’s Powai campus to protest over his son’s death.The detention and subsequent protest came amid fresh demonstrations outside the campus, with Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad and National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) workers also being detained.“I want justice for my son,” Sahil’s father, Ravindra Wakode, told the media after police detained him in Bhandup while he was travelling towards IIT Bombay.Later, as the family began its hunger strike, he said, “Those who tortured my son should be put behind bars.”The family has alleged that Sahil faced caste-based discrimination and harassment at the institute and has sought action against those named in their complaint. The allegations are part of the ongoing investigation.The parents had initially planned to stage the hunger strike outside the IIT Bombay gate but were directed by the police to hold the protest at Azad Maidan, where permission was granted.The developments triggered another confrontation outside IIT Bombay, where Congress workers and NSUI activists gathered, demanding accountability and a probe into Sahil’s death. Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad was detained along with several party workers and NSUI activists as police maintained heavy security outside the Powai campus.Addressing the protesters, Gaikwad described Sahil’s death as an “institutional murder” and called for a comprehensive investigation. She also said students should not face humiliation or discrimination on the basis of caste or religion. Her characterisation was a political allegation, and the circumstances of Sahil’s death remain under investigation.The protests come as the Mumbai Crime Branch continues to examine the circumstances preceding Sahil’s death.CCTV footage from the examination hall shows Sahil being stopped by an invigilator and taken aside during the examination. Investigators are reconstructing his movements after he left the examination hall and returned to his hostel.IIT Bombay has also constituted a 10-member committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the death. Prof. Suryanarayana Doolla, who was named in an FIR lodged on the basis of Sahil’s father’s complaint, has been sent on leave to facilitate the inquiry.The institute on Thursday reissued its apology over its earlier communication concerning the examination incident and Sahil’s death, acknowledging that it should not have characterised the circumstances before the investigation had established the facts.Sahil, a second-year BTech student, was found dead in his hostel room on September 18, hours after the examination incident. With his parents now on an indefinite hunger strike and political and student protests intensifying, the spotlight has shifted firmly onto the investigation into the events leading up to his death.