Mumbai, Sep 24: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi spoke to the family of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode over the phone and assured them of his support in their pursuit of justice, Maharashtra Congress said on Thursday.

According to the Maharashtra Congress, Gandhi expressed solidarity with the family and assured them of all possible support in seeking justice for Sahil.

Following Sahil’s death, his family has levelled serious allegations against the IIT Bombay administration and certain officials. The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is currently investigating the case.

The Youth Congress is also scheduled to hold a press conference on Thursday afternoon regarding the matter. The organisation is expected to announce its future strategy and the next course of action concerning the case.

Meanwhile, regular classes resumed at IIT Bombay on Wednesday, days after the death of the second-year student triggered protests on the campus, sources said.

The Mumbai Police on Wednesday said the investigation into Sahil’s death was being conducted impartially and that all possible angles were being examined. The police also appealed to people to refrain from spreading misinformation about the case.

“Following the unfortunate demise of Sahil Ravindra Wakode (20), a student of IIT Bombay, a case was registered at Powai Police Station. The case has subsequently been transferred to the Crime Branch, Mumbai, as DCB CID C.R. No. 124/2026,” officials said.

“The investigation has been entrusted to an ACP-rank officer and is being closely supervised by DCP Detection-I, Crime Branch,” they added.

Meanwhile, IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who has been named in connection with Sahil’s death, was sent on leave amid the ongoing investigation, sources said on Wednesday.

Sahil’s parents have demanded the immediate arrest of Doolla. A case has been registered against him on allegations including abetment to suicide and caste-based discrimination following the student’s death.

Wakode, a second-year B.Tech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found hanging in his hostel room on the Powai campus on the evening of September 18. The incident took place hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination.

Mumbai, Sep 24: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), asserting that recent media revelations have conclusively exposed the complete erosion of the poll body’s constitutional autonomy.

Citing an investigative media report, which revealed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded written dissent on at least 14 occasions over 10 months against steps taken by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Thackeray stated that the findings validate what opposition parties in Maharashtra have been alleging all along.

Thackeray, in his long post on X, alleged that the CEC did not act independently but was “compelled” to take arbitrary decisions to suit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He argued that the concept of an autonomous poll panel now exists solely in textbooks, alleging that under the current political dispensation, “autonomy” is defined as complete subservience to the ruling party. “The objections raised by Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi are too severe to be swept under the carpet. When two out of three commissioners are kept in the dark and sidelined, it proves that electoral rolls were manipulated at will,” remarked Thackeray.

Highlighting specific instances from the report, Thackeray questioned how key directives regarding voter list software, modification of statutory forms, and mass legal appeals — such as the 1.61 million appeals filed in West Bengal — could be issued without the approval of the full commission. He also cited technical glitches in Goa that led to the disenfranchisement of 97 verified voters as evidence of deliberate centralisation and systemic manipulation.

Commending the two dissenting Election Commissioners for recording their objections on file, Thackeray urged all opposition parties across India to unite for a larger struggle. He declared that the battle against electoral irregularities must now expand into a nationwide movement demanding a return to paper ballots.

The MNS Chief has demanded an immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, a high-level independent probe into the alleged “masterminds” directing ECI decisions, resignation of the current government on grounds of compromised election integrity and scraping of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in favour of traditional paper ballots for all upcoming elections.

“The Chief Election Commissioner ought to resign, certainly, but the government that came to power by leveraging such a spineless Election Commission should also step down. The fact that there were no celebrations on the streets following the election of a government claiming a majority mandate speaks volumes. This is precisely what I have been saying all along. Therefore, everyone must realise the ultimate truth that only if the Election Commission becomes truly autonomous, as it ought to be, can the ruling dispensation be brought down to earth; otherwise, this battle will be endless,” he commented.

Responding to queries often posed by political commentators regarding high turnout at his rallies not translating into seats, Thackeray remarked that internal disclosures from within the ECI provide the definitive answer to “who steals the votes and how”. He concluded with a warning that unless the Election Commission’s neutrality is restored, democratic contests in the country will remain fundamentally compromised.

Mumbai, Sep 23: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday rejected the Rs 500-crore defamation notice served by Satish Salian, father of the late Disha Salian, calling it “frivolous” and denying he ever knew her.

Replying through his Supreme Court advocate Anshuman Sinha, Thackeray categorically denied all allegations of defamation, refused to issue an apology or withdraw his social media posts, and reaffirmed his stand that he has “never met or known Disha Salian”.

The confrontation stems from a notice issued on September 17, 2026, by Satish Salian’s counsel, Adv. Anushka Sonawane. Salian alleged that Thackeray’s English and Marathi posts on X, published on September 16, 2026, contained defamatory narratives and sought Rs 500 crore in damages alongside public apologies.

Thackeray’s reply emphasised that his posts never named or identified Satish Salian. His legal team argued that a cause of action cannot be manufactured by inserting a party’s name into general comments about a prolonged political and media campaign. The demand for Rs 500 crore was described as “false, legally misconceived and arbitrary, devoid of any computational basis or identified financial loss.”

The reply pointed out that Salian’s current claims contrasted with earlier public statements and legal filings made immediately after his daughter’s death. It cited FIR C.R. No. 118 of 2022 registered at Malvani Police Station and a March 16, 2022 order by the Dindoshi Sessions Court, where the family attributed her suicide to financial depression under the influence of alcohol, while accusing political actors of defaming the family by circulating rumours.

Thackeray said that while the Bombay High Court directed a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, it recorded no adverse findings against him or any individual, and mandated that no person be treated as an accused unless sufficient grounds emerged from evidence.

Defending his right to use social media to counter accusations, Thackeray refused demands to delete posts, apologise, retract or pay compensation. He reiterated his call for an independent and fair CBI investigation without media trials or political distractions.

Advising Satish Salian to withdraw the “misconceived” notice within seven days, Thackeray’s counsel warned that any further civil or criminal proceedings based on fabricated interpretations would be contested firmly in court at Salian’s risk regarding costs and consequences.