Sahil Wakode Suicide Case: IIT Bombay Faculty Backs Professor Suryanarayana Doolla
Faculty members at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay staged a protest inside the campus main building on Monday, voicing support for Professor Suryanarayana Doolla after his deanship was suspended amid an outcry over a student's suicide.
The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum has expressed solidarity with Professor Suryanarayana Doolla amid continuing protests over the death of second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode. The faculty body said Doolla was carrying out his responsibilities as an examination invigilator and had followed the institute’s Senate-approved procedure after allegedly detecting unauthorised smartphone use during an exam, TOI reported.
The development comes a day after IIT Bombay removed Doolla from his position as Dean of Student Affairs with immediate effect. He will, however, continue as a professor and head of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering while the matter is investigated. Sahil Wakode Suicide Case: IIT Bombay Apologises, Professor Suryanarayana Doolla Suspended.
Faculty Forum Defends Doolla
According to the Faculty Forum, Doolla was invigilating a mid-semester examination from 11 am to 1 pm on September 18 when he noticed a student allegedly possessing and using a smartphone without authorisation.
The forum described the incident as academic malpractice and said Doolla reported it to institute authorities in accordance with the approved procedure. It also expressed condolences to Wakode’s family and said it was concerned about what it described as attempts to damage the professor’s reputation. Sahil Wakode Suicide Case: Mumbai Crime Branch Takes Over IIT Bombay Probe, SC/ST Act Invoked.
The faculty statement does not resolve the separate allegations made by Wakode’s family and students, which remain part of the ongoing investigation.
IIT Bombay Removes Doolla as Dean
IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh B Kedare announced on September 21 that Doolla had been removed from the Dean of Student Affairs position with immediate effect. The institute said any further action would be considered after the investigation.
Doolla remains a faculty member and continues to head the Department of Energy Science and Engineering.
The administrative action followed several days of student protests and an 18-point charter of demands submitted to the institute. Students had specifically sought action against Doolla in connection with the events preceding Wakode’s death.
What Happened to Sahil Wakode?
Wakode, a second-year student in IIT Bombay’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found dead in his hostel room on September 18. IIT Bombay had earlier said Wakode was allegedly found using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers. The institute said the instructor and head of department subsequently counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career. It also maintained that no disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against him.
Students and Wakode’s family have disputed aspects of the institute’s account. His family has alleged harassment and caste-based discrimination, while students have raised concerns about academic pressure and the handling of examination-related cases. These allegations have not been established as facts.
FIR Names Professor Doolla
An FIR was registered following a complaint by Wakode’s family, naming Doolla in connection with allegations including abetment and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The case has been transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch for investigation.
The police investigation is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death as well as the allegations made by his family. The filing of an FIR does not by itself establish the allegations against those named.
Students’ 18-Point Charter
The controversy has also prompted wider demands from students concerning institutional accountability and student welfare.
Their 18-point charter includes a demand for an independent investigation involving professors, student representatives and external members. Students have also sought greater student representation in committees, a formal mechanism for complaints against professors, changes in the handling of academic-misconduct cases and expanded counselling facilities.
Other demands include improved mental-health services, regular sensitisation programmes for faculty and staff, a student concerns portal and a task force involving students, faculty, mental-health professionals and external experts.
IIT Bombay Apologises for Earlier Statement
Amid the controversy, IIT Bombay apologised for an earlier communication concerning the circumstances leading up to Wakode’s death.
The institute said the details remained subject to investigation and acknowledged that it was inappropriate to characterise events preceding the death before they had been established through the appropriate investigative process. The institute has also denied reports that Director Shireesh Kedare had resigned, calling those reports false.
Investigation Remains Underway
The case has brought different accounts from the institute, students, faculty members and Wakode’s family into focus. The Faculty Forum maintains that Doolla followed established academic procedures, while students and the family have raised allegations concerning the treatment of Wakode and the circumstances before his death.
With the police investigation continuing and the institute examining the matter, the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death and any individual or institutional responsibility remain to be established through the relevant proceedings.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 21, 2026 04:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
