What began with the death of a 22-year-old IIT Bombay student has since turned into a wider campus controversy, bringing student protests, allegations of caste-based harassment, questions over examination procedures and an institutional inquiry into focus.
The latest flashpoint came on Monday, with the Faculty Forum defending Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was temporarily relieved of his deanship.
Meanwhile, police have booked the professor under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act following allegations of casteist slurs and harassment raised by the student’s parents. The case investigation has been transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch.
FACULTY FORUM BACKS DOOLLA, PLANS CAMPUS MARCH
In a statement issued at 3 pm on Monday, the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum said Doolla had only been temporarily relieved of his responsibilities as Dean (Administrative Affairs) to facilitate an independent and unbiased inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of second-year student Sahil Wakode.
The Faculty Forum maintained that Doolla was performing his duties as an invigilator and had followed the institute’s prescribed procedure after allegedly detecting academic malpractice during an examination. The forum, which represents faculty members at the institute, also expressed concern over what it described as attempts to tarnish the professor’s reputation.
The Forum highlighted Doolla’s academic and teaching record, noting that he had received several honours, including two awards based entirely on student feedback. It also referred to his tenure as Dean (Student Affairs), during which it said several student-welfare initiatives were established.
The faculty body is also planning a march on campus in support of Doolla.
DOOLLA REMOVED AS DEAN AFTER STUDENT PROTESTS
Doolla’s removal from the deanship came after three days of protests at IIT Bombay following Wakode’s death on September 18.
On Sunday evening, IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare signed an 18-point charter presented by protesting students after several hours of discussions. One of the key demands was action against Doolla, who had been the invigilator during the examination attended by Wakode shortly before his death.
The charter also sought an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death, with students demanding an interim report by September 30 and a final report by October 15.
Other demands included reforms to the institute’s disciplinary procedures, greater student representation, improved counselling and mental-health services, faculty sensitisation and the creation of a task force involving students, faculty members, mental-health professionals and external experts.
IIT BOMBAY APOLOGISES OVER EARLIER STATEMENT
As the protests intensified, IIT Bombay apologised on Monday for its earlier communication about Wakode’s death.
The institute said the details and circumstances leading up to the incident remained under investigation by the appropriate authorities. It said it was inappropriate to have characterised events preceding the student’s death before they had been established through the investigative process.
The clarification followed an earlier September 19 statement in which IIT Bombay had said Wakode was found using a mobile phone during an examination and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers.
The institute had also said that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him and that the matter was discussed with him by the instructor, faculty advisor and Head of Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not affect his academic career.
FAMILY ALLEGES CASTE-BASED HARASSMENT
The case took another turn after Wakode’s family alleged that their son had faced caste-based harassment and mental torture before his death.
Mumbai Police registered a case of abetment to suicide and invoked provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act following the family’s complaint. Doolla was named in the FIR.
The investigation was subsequently taken over by the Mumbai Crime Branch. The allegations made by the family have not been established.
IIT Bombay has denied caste discrimination and said Wakode had not submitted any complaint to the institute’s SC/ST cell or administration. The institute has maintained that the circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.
WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE EXAMINATION?
The controversy began with the examination incident on September 18.
Wakode, a second-year student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was allegedly found using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination. IIT Bombay said he had uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers.
Doolla was the invigilator during the examination and reported the alleged malpractice to the institute authorities. The Faculty Forum has maintained that he was acting in accordance with the institute’s Senate-approved academic policies.
The institute said Wakode was subsequently counselled by the instructor, faculty advisor and Head of Department and was assured that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career. It also said no disciplinary action had been initiated against him at that stage.
Wakode was later found dead in his hostel room on the evening of September 18, triggering protests on campus and demands for an independent inquiry.
MULTIPLE INVESTIGATIONS NOW UNDERWAY
The developments have left IIT Bombay dealing with several parallel issues: the police investigation into Wakode’s death, an inquiry into the circumstances leading up to it, student demands for institutional reforms and the growing debate over Doolla’s role.
While the Faculty Forum has argued that Doolla was carrying out his official responsibilities and should not be held responsible without the facts being established, Wakode’s family has alleged caste-based harassment and students have demanded that the circumstances surrounding his death be investigated independently.
For now, the institute has temporarily relieved Doolla of his administrative responsibilities, while the Faculty Forum continues to defend him. The 18-point student charter has also placed wider questions about student welfare, disciplinary procedures and mental-health support before the administration.
The police and institutional inquiries will now be key to establishing what happened in the period between the examination incident and Wakode’s death, and whether any individual or institutional actions contributed to the circumstances surrounding it.
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