IIT Bombay protest about systemic reform, not cheating: Students

IIT Bombay students say their protest after Sahil Wakode's suicide is for systemic reform, not to justify cheating. His family alleges caste-based harassment, demands a CBI probe, and claims the institute has been uncooperative with them.

Student Protest for Systemic Reform, Not to Justify Misconduct

IIT Bombay student representatives on Monday said their protest following the death of second-year BTech student Sahil Ravindra Wakode was not intended to justify cheating or academic misconduct, but was aimed at raising concerns over systemic issues within the institute and seeking institutional reforms. The statement comes amid protests following the death by suicide of Sahil, a student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, on September 18.

In an official statement issued on September 21, the student representatives said the loss of Sahil was a “deeply tragic event” that had compelled students to reflect on the systems and processes within the institute. “We do not stand for or condone cheating or any form of academic misconduct. At the same time, the loss of our fellow student, Sahil, is a deeply tragic event that has compelled us to reflect on the systems and processes within our Institute,” the statement said.

“The protest initiated by students was not intended to justify academic misconduct. It was a collective effort to raise concerns about systemic issues that have existed for some time and to seek meaningful and strong institutional reforms so that no student has to face circumstances of this nature again,” it said. The representatives said students had formulated a comprehensive set of demands over the past few days, which were formally placed before the Director.

According to the statement, the Director acknowledged and signed the demands and agreed to work towards their implementation within the specified timelines. They also said an open house with the Director and other members of the institute administration had been held, allowing students to raise their concerns and questions directly. “The Director addressed these concerns in detail and responded openly to the questions raised by students,” the representatives said, adding that they appreciated his engagement with the student community and his approach towards identifying and addressing institutional issues that had come to light.

Clarification on Professor Suryanarayana Doolla

On Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, the student representatives clarified that they had never presumed his guilt or prejudged the ongoing investigation. “With respect to Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, we would like to clarify that our position has never been one of presuming guilt or prejudging the ongoing investigation. We stand with Professor Doolla as a member of our faculty community and believe that the investigation must be allowed to proceed fairly and impartially,” they said.

The students said their demand was for Doolla to be relieved of his administrative duties as Dean of Administrative Affairs during the investigation as a precautionary measure to ensure its independence. “The findings and appropriate action should follow from the established investigative process,” they said.

Call to Keep Protests Student-Led

The statement further said the concerns arising from the tragedy should remain student-led and be addressed within the institute. “The loss of Sahil should not become a platform for external political interests, organisations, or narratives to shape the concerns of the IIT Bombay student community. Our demands have emerged from the experiences and concerns of students on campus, and we believe that the process of reform should continue to remain rooted in the student community and the Institute,” the statement said.

The representatives said they would continue to seek accountability, transparency and institutional reform while working with the institute. "We will continue to raise our concerns, represent the voices of students, and work constructively with the Institute towards building a safer, more accountable and supportive campus. IIT Bombay students are strong. IIT Bombay students are united. Student concerns must remain with the students," the statement concluded.

Faculty Backs Professor, Cites 'Academic Malpractice'

Meanwhile, the IIT Bombay PRO also clarified that Professor Doolla had only been suspended from the deanship. The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum also staged a campus march in support of Doolla on Monday. The Faculty Forum had earlier expressed solidarity with Doolla, saying he was following institutional protocol after discovering that Sahil was in “unauthorised possession and use of a smartphone”.

“We strongly express our solidarity with our colleague Prof Suryanarayana Doolla, who was discharging his duties in line with the institute’s Senate-approved academic policies currently in force,” the forum said, while offering condolences to Sahil's family. According to the forum, Doolla, who was the course instructor, was invigilating the mid-semester examination from 11 am to 1 pm on September 18 when he saw a student using a smartphone without authorisation, which it termed “academic malpractice”. The forum said Doolla reported the incident to institute authorities as part of the institute-approved procedure.

Family Alleges Caste-Based Harassment, Demands CBI Probe

Meanwhile, Sahil's family has alleged caste-based harassment and sought a thorough probe, including a CBI inquiry. The parents of the deceased had filed a case under the SC/ST Act, alleging discrimination, which they said led him to take his own life.

'Why is this happening to us?': Family Questions Institute

His uncle told ANI that the family wanted to know what happened inside the examination hall after they learnt that Sahil had been using a mobile phone. “We want to know why the students who have died so far have all belonged to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Why is this happening to us? If this is not caste-based harassment, then what is? We are the guardians of the Indian Constitution, and if injustice is inflicted upon us, the whole country is watching; Sahil deserves justice. Sahil's family deserves justice,” he said.

“There must be a full inquiry, a CBI inquiry. After Sahil died by suicide, we learned he had been using a mobile phone; so, what exactly was happening inside the examination hall? What were the invigilators doing?” he said. The uncle said the family received a message on September 17 informing them that Sahil had died by suicide but received no further explanation. “That single sentence was all we got regarding our child. No one is willing to explain why or how it happened. Action must be taken against everyone within the administration who is culpable in Sahil's suicide case. There must be a CBI inquiry,” he said.

Aunt Alleges Discrimination, Demands CCTV Footage

Sahil's aunt alleged that he had told his father about caste-based discrimination shortly before his death. “On Monday, he told his father about the caste-based discrimination he was facing. His father advised him, 'Son, just focus on your studies. These things don't matter; focus on your future.' That is what he was told,” she told ANI.

She demanded a CBI inquiry and strict punishment for anyone found guilty. “Only then will Sahil and all the other students get justice. The parents of the students who have lost their lives in such incidents have also met us; they are deeply distressed, feeling that there is no one here to listen to them. Those children will get justice,” she said. The aunt also demanded that IIT Bombay provide the family with CCTV footage and other evidence without tampering. “We need the administration to provide us with full details regarding Sahil, CCTV footage, and all other evidence, exactly as it is. There must be no tampering with it; the truth must be revealed to everyone,” she said.

She alleged that the incident involved more people than one professor and also accused the institute's Director of being involved. “Only one professor has resigned. That doesn't really matter to us because this incident didn't involve just one professor. A major conspiracy lies behind such a massive incident, and many people are involved in it. This includes the institute's director,” she said.

She further said the family received a call from a professor at around 8 pm informing them of Sahil's death and rushed to IIT Bombay that night. “That evening, we received a call from the professor at 8:00 PM informing us that Sahil had committed suicide. We simply could not believe it; we wondered if someone was playing a prank on us. That is what we were thinking. We rushed there that very night,” she said. The aunt alleged that no professor or Director met the family after they reached IIT Bombay. “When we reached IIT, no professor or director came to meet us; no one spoke to us. Why did that happen? What happened? No one told us anything,” she said.

She also questioned why an inquiry had not been initiated into the circumstances of Sahil's death and said the family faced pressure after raising the issue. Explaining the invocation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, she said, “People ask why we invoked the Atrocity Act. The reason is that the students who have committed suicide so far have all belonged to SC or ST communities, not other castes. Why is injustice constantly being inflicted upon our children?”

“Aren't our children the future of this country? All children are the country's future. They should all be treated equally, but that is not happening. Our child is innocent; he did not do anything,” she added. The aunt said that even after three days, the family had not received information about the CCTV footage or the circumstances of Sahil's death and had not been shown his mobile phone or laptop.

In an earlier statement issued on September 19, IIT Bombay had alleged that the student was caught cheating in an examination. However, the institute issued a formal apology retracting its earlier characterizations of the incident. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police has officially transferred the case of Sahil to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)