Standup comedian Masoom Rajwani was among 20–25 people detained by Mumbai Police on Sunday, 25 October, during a candlelight vigil at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar, reported The Hindu. The vigil was held for IIT-Bombay student Sahil Wakode, who died by suicide last month. According to the report, the police said the gathering did not have the required permissions. Around 140 people were detained across two gatherings in Dadar and Shivaji Park.

Following his detention, Rajwani posted on Instagram that he and other protesters were not being told where they were being taken, describing the situation as “state approved kidnapping”. In a subsequent post, he wrote, “Shame on police for using brute force,” alleging that eight women had been detained and that a woman’s clothes had been torn. He also shared a video showing police personnel detaining him.

Wakode’s death has prompted protests and calls for accountability over alleged caste-based discrimination at the institute.