MUMBAI, Oct. 22 -- A group of about 20 faculty members at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) have questioned the institute's role in allowing police on the campus on October 18 to clear a nearly month-long peaceful demonstration over the death of a student in September.

In an email to IIT Bombay director Prof Shireesh B Kedare on Wednesday, the faculty members cited allegations that the police detained students and used force to disperse them and questioned the role of institute officials present during the incident. They asked the administration to issue a clear statement explaining what happened and fix responsibility for the action.

While acknowledging that faculty members held differing views on the protest - som...