'He Was Strong': IIT Bombay Student's Father, Grandmother Allege Caste Harassment, Mental Torture

IIT student's father said Sahil was strong and would not have taken his own life, while his grandmother alleged mental torture. IIT Bombay has suspended Professor Suryanarayana Doolla and retracted earlier claims about the incident.

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IIT student death: Father says son was strong, grandmother alleges mental torture

The death of a 22-year-old IIT Bombay student has triggered allegations of caste-based harassment, questions over the institute’s handling of the incident and protests on campus.

Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a second-year BTech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his hostel room on the Powai campus on September 18.

His family has alleged that Sahil faced caste-based mocking and harassment at the institute. His maternal grandmother, Shyamlata Tayade, has now said that “mental torture” could have been a reason behind his death and demanded an investigation into the administration and hostel environment.

At the same time, IIT Bombay has suspended Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was the examination invigilator named in the police complaint, and has withdrawn its earlier account of what happened before Sahil’s death.

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Grandmother seeks probe into IIT Bombay

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Sahil’s maternal grandmother said the circumstances surrounding his death needed to be investigated.

“Mental torture by IIT Bombay can be a reason behind Sahil's suicide,” Tayade said, according to the statement provided.

Yavatmal, Maharashtra: Shyamlata Tayade, grandmother of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, who died by suicide on campus, alleged that he faced harassment and caste-based remarks from faculty members. She claimed Sahil had told his parents about the distress around eight days… pic.twitter.com/JexXn3lvUE

— IANS (@ians_india) September 21, 2026

She called for equal treatment of students and questioned whether the institute’s administration and hostel environment were putting pressure on students.

Tayade said Sahil had received strong support from his family and was fulfilling the hopes of his relatives by studying at IIT Bombay.

She said the family could not believe that he had died by suicide because he was a bright student.

The grandmother also questioned why the parents were not informed first about the incident. Sahil was his parents’ only son.

She said the family now wanted justice and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

Sahil's aunt also alleged that a major conspiracy was behind such a massive incident and many people were involved in it. Speaking to ANI, she said: "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."

#WATCH | Yavatmal: On IIT-Bombay student suicide, aunt of deceased Sahil Ravindra Wakode says, "...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… https://t.co/bRVBL3cPSD pic.twitter.com/jgqbkGf3B4

— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2026

She further said, "We urge the administration to order a CBI inquiry into this incident and ensure that everyone found guilty receives the strictest possible punishment. 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. 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. 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..."

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Father says son faced casteism

Sahil’s father, Ravindra Wakode, has made similar allegations, claiming that his son was subjected to caste-based discrimination and harassment at IIT Bombay.

Ravindra said Sahil had grown up in extreme poverty and worked hard to reach the premier institute. He alleged that faculty members and officials had discriminated against his son on caste lines and falsely targeted him.

The father also said Sahil had repeatedly spoken about a professor who allegedly called him a lower-caste student and mocked and harassed him over accusations.

Ravindra did not identify the professor in his statements to the media, but a police case was later registered against Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was the invigilator during the examination Sahil attended on September 18.

The father has strongly disputed the suggestion that his son would have taken his own life because of an academic incident.

Ravindra said his son was strong and was not someone who could commit suicide. He also alleged that the IIT Bombay administration had discriminated against and “tortured” Sahil.

These are allegations made by the family and remain subject to investigation.

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IIT Bombay suspends professor

Amid the growing controversy, IIT Bombay on Monday suspended the deanship of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla with immediate effect.

The decision was taken by IIT Bombay Director Shireesh B. Kedare.

The institute also issued a formal apology and withdrew parts of its earlier communication about the circumstances leading to Sahil’s death.

IIT Bombay said its previous statements had made premature assertions before the facts had been established through an appropriate investigation.

“We apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil,” the institute said in its revised communication.

It added that the details and circumstances leading to the incident remained under investigation by the appropriate authorities.

The institute acknowledged that it had been inappropriate to describe or characterise events preceding Sahil’s death before those facts had been established through the investigative process.

IIT Bombay also clarified that Director Shireesh B. Kedare had not resigned, despite reports claiming otherwise.

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What IIT Bombay said initially

The institute’s original account, issued on September 19, focused on an examination incident earlier on the day Sahil died.

IIT Bombay said Sahil had been found using a mobile phone during an examination. According to its initial statement, he had uploaded the examination question paper on ChatGPT to seek answers.

The institute said no disciplinary action had been initiated against him. It said the matter was discussed with Sahil by the instructor and the Head of Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not affect his academic career.

According to that account, Sahil later returned to his hostel room and was subsequently found dead.

The institute has now retracted its earlier characterisation of the circumstances surrounding the death, saying the matter should be left to the appropriate authorities investigating the case.

Faculty Forum backs Professor Doolla

The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum, meanwhile, has expressed solidarity with Professor Suryanarayana Doolla.

The forum said Doolla was following the institute’s approved academic procedures when he noticed a student using a smartphone without authorisation during the examination.

According to the forum, Doolla was invigilating the mid-semester examination between 11 am and 1 pm on September 18 when he saw the student using the phone.

The forum described the incident as “academic malpractice” and said the professor reported it to the institute authorities as required under the approved procedure.

It said the professor was merely carrying out his academic responsibilities and expressed concern over what it called the tarnishing of his reputation.

The Faculty Forum also offered its condolences to Sahil’s family.

The competing accounts have added another layer to the controversy, with Sahil’s family alleging harassment while the faculty body maintains that the professor was following institutional procedures.

Police case transferred to Crime Branch

The Mumbai Police has transferred the case to the Crime Branch amid the allegations surrounding Sahil’s death.

His father filed a police complaint alleging harassment and caste-based discrimination against his son.

Following the complaint, an FIR was registered against Professor Suryanarayana Doolla. The complaint alleges that casteist remarks were made against Sahil over a period of around three months.

The case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The allegations have not been established in court, and the investigation is ongoing.

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Students protest after Sahil’s death

Sahil’s death has also led to protests by students at IIT Bombay.

The controversy has centred not only on the circumstances of his death but also on the institute’s initial communication, the allegations made by his family and the treatment of students facing academic or disciplinary issues.

The institute’s decision to suspend Doolla's deanship and retract its earlier description of events came as the police investigation continued.

For Sahil’s family, the central demand remains an investigation into whether alleged caste-based harassment, mental pressure or the campus environment played any role in his death.

For the faculty body, the focus has been on defending Doolla’s conduct during the examination and his adherence to institutional procedures.

The Mumbai Crime Branch investigation is now expected to examine the allegations and establish the sequence of events leading up to Sahil’s death.

Until the investigation is completed, the claims made by the family, the institute and the faculty body remain competing accounts of what happened before the tragedy.

(With inputs from agencies)