The Bombay High Court (HC), on July 15, ordered the reinstatement of Akshay Sawant, a PhD scholar from the Humanities and Social Sciences Department at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, who had been suspended in April 2025 for allegedly giving an “unauthorised interview” to the media.
Sawant had denied the charge against him, stating he never consented to be quoted.
The July 15 court order stated that the suspension would cease to have effect from July 25 and clarified that the duration of the suspension “shall not have any bearing on the academic record of the petitioner.”
The court emphasised that the decision was made considering the “peculiar facts and circumstances” of the case and to ensure the student’s academic career was not jeopardised.
What happened?
Sawant, also a member of the Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC), was suspended for eight months based on the findings of IIT Bombay’s fact-finding and disciplinary committees.
The suspension came in the wake of a media article published on February 19, 2025, which quoted him as defending the inclusive nature of celebrations on campus.
He was quoted saying, “Every festival is celebrated on our campus... The allegations are baseless and merely an attempt to target the department’s liberal environment.”
However, these remarks were deemed “defamatory” by the administration.
In his petition, Sawant argued that the charges were false, arbitrary, and unreasonable. He maintained that he had not authorised the quote, a claim he had also placed before the institute’s inquiry panels. With no response from the administration to his appeal, he approached the court, which has now ruled in his favour.
An official from IIT Bombay said the institute would comply with the court’s directive.
“Victory for Student Rights”: APPSC
The Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC) released a statement welcoming the court’s order, describing it as a “significant victory” for student rights and a rebuke of what they called the “casteist and authoritarian tendencies” of the IIT Bombay administration.
“This case is not an isolated incident. It reflects a broader, systemic pattern of targeted actions against student community in general and particularly more harsh towards those who engage in critical discourse around student rights, institutional accountability, and the rights of SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities, [and] workers,” the statement said.
They criticised the institute’s disciplinary actions as vague, extra-judicial, and lacking transparency.
“No such rule was shared in writing, and the decision went beyond the scope of the fact-finding process initiated by the disciplinary committee,” APPSC alleged.
Demands for reform
The group also demanded the immediate withdrawal of the 'Interim Guidelines on Holding Events at IIT Bombay,' calling them unconstitutional and an attack on academic freedom. They stated that such measures have been used to cancel talks, censor speakers, and suppress dissenting voices on campus.
APPSC listed three key demands:
The interim guidelines be withdrawn immediately.
All arbitrary disciplinary actions against dissenting students be reviewed and reversed.
IIT Bombay must ensure academic freedom, democratic engagement, and the rights of marginalised voices on campus.
