IIT Bombay: Tensions high after student's suicide, protests erupt

Security is up at IIT Bombay amid tensions following student Sahil Wakode's suicide. Students are protesting for systemic reforms, while faculty members have counter-protested in support of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who has been suspended.

Security has been beefed up at the IIT Bombay campus in Powai on Tuesday amid tensions on the campus following the death by suicide of second-year BTech student Sahil Ravindra Wakode, with protests by students and a counter-protest by faculty members over the role of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla.

The situation comes a day after the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum staged a campus march in support of Doolla, who has been suspended from the deanship, while student representatives issued a statement clarifying that their protest was not intended to justify cheating or any form of academic misconduct.

Student Protests and Demands

The student representatives said their protest was aimed at raising concerns over systemic issues within the institute and seeking institutional reforms following Sahil's death on September 18. “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,” they said.

The students said they had formulated a comprehensive set of demands and placed them before the Director, who, according to them, acknowledged and signed the demands and agreed to work towards implementing them within specified timelines. They also said an open house was held with the Director and other members of the administration, allowing students to raise their concerns 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.

On Doolla, the student representatives said they had not 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 that the probe remained independent. The student representatives further said the concerns arising from Sahil's death should remain student-led and 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,” they said. The representatives said they would continue to seek accountability, transparency and institutional reform while working with the institute.

Faculty Rallies in Support of Professor

Meanwhile, the IIT Bombay PRO has also clarified that Doolla had only been suspended from the deanship. The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum, meanwhile, staged a campus march in support of Doolla on Monday and said he had been discharging his duties in accordance with the institute's Senate-approved academic procedures. “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 Faculty Forum said.

According to the forum, Doolla 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. It said he reported the incident to the institute authorities as required under the approved procedure. Sahil, a student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found dead in his hostel room later that day.

IIT Bombay had earlier said the student was found using a mobile phone during the examination and had uploaded the question paper on ChatGPT to seek answers. The institute had said no disciplinary action was initiated against him. It subsequently issued a formal apology retracting its earlier characterisations of the incident.

Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Demands CBI Probe

Sahil's family has alleged caste-based harassment and sought a thorough investigation, including a CBI probe. His parents have also filed a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, alleging discrimination.

Sahil's uncle told ANI that the family wanted a full inquiry into what happened inside the examination hall. “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 family has also sought CCTV footage and other evidence related to the incident, alleging that they had not been provided complete information about the circumstances surrounding Sahil's death. Sahil's aunt alleged that he had told his father about caste-based discrimination shortly before his death and demanded strict action against anyone found guilty. “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 said.

The aunt also alleged that no professor or Director met the family when they reached IIT Bombay after being informed about Sahil's death. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police has transferred the case to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch.

IIT Madras Faculty Calls for Fair Inquiry

Amid the ongoing developments, the Faculty Association of IIT Madras has called for a fair, transparent and time-bound inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Sahil's death. The association expressed condolences to Sahil's family, friends and classmates and said the well-being of students must remain a central priority.

It also backed the principle that faculty members should be able to discharge their responsibilities in maintaining examination integrity in accordance with institutional procedures and without fear of personal vilification. The IIT Madras faculty body urged authorities to ensure that no individual is held publicly responsible before the inquiry is completed.

“Premature conclusions, media trials and speculation, including on social media, cause lasting harm to all concerned and do not serve the cause of justice or the memory of the student,” it said. It also called for authorities to examine whether procedures for handling academic malpractice provide students with adequate support, counselling and safeguards during periods of acute stress. (ANI)

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