3 hrs ago
IIT Bombay Suicide Case Fuels Debate Over SC/ST Act
A student at IIT Bombay, Sahil Wakode, died in an alleged suicide case.
His parents filed a police report naming Professor Suryanarayana Doolla as an accused.
They alleged that the professor had harassed the student for three months.
IIT Bombay first said the student had used unfair means in an exam.
The institute later apologised for making what it called an inappropriate statement.
Some people say the law protecting Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is being misused against the professor.
Others say nobody should make that claim before investigators examine the parents’ allegations.
Several faculty groups have supported Doolla.
Other commentators have raised concerns about wider problems linked to student suicides at IITs.
Professor Suryanarayana Doolla was named in an FIR over the alleged suicide of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode.
Wakode’s parents alleged that Doolla had harassed their son during the previous three months.
IIT Bombay initially said Wakode had committed malpractice in a mid-semester exam, then apologised for calling the statement inappropriate.
Former BJP leader Sudheendra Kulkarni and other supporters called for the SC/ST Act case against Doolla to be withdrawn.
Critics of the alleged misuse campaign said the parents’ allegations should be investigated before conclusions are drawn.
- Who
- IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, Wakode’s parents, and people debating the FIR and the SC/ST Act.
- What
- An FIR naming Doolla in an alleged student suicide case has triggered a debate over whether the SC/ST Act is being misused.
- Where
- IIT Bombay and other Indian institutions of higher education.
- When
- The events and public statements were reported as occurring over the previous three months, with key statements issued on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
- Why
- The debate arose after Wakode’s parents alleged harassment, while supporters of Doolla argued that the law was being wrongly applied and critics called for an investigation.
Supporters of the Professor
Supporters of Investigation
Whether the SC/ST Act was misused
Supporters of the Professor
Sudheendra Kulkarni and Professor Anand Ranganathan argued that the law was being misused and that guilt should not automatically be assigned to people from so-called upper castes after an SC or ST student’s suicide.
Supporters of Investigation
Sunil Rajak called the misuse campaign prejudiced and unsubstantiated, saying the parents’ allegations should be investigated before anyone concludes that the law was misused.
Interpretation of the student’s death
Supporters of the Professor
Supporters of Doolla highlighted the institute’s initial account that Wakode had been caught engaging in malpractice during an exam.
Supporters of Investigation
Critics said those endorsing the cheating account had not established it as evidence and noted that the parents alleged harassment by the professor.
Broader institutional concerns
Supporters of the Professor
Supporters focused on the need to prevent what they described as unfair prosecution of faculty members under stringent legal provisions.
Supporters of Investigation
Pranab Jeevan argued that attention should also be given to systemic flaws, noting that more than 100 students at various IITs had died by suicide over the previous decade.
Key facts
- Student
- Sahil Wakode, a second-year student at IIT Bombay
- Professor named in FIR
- Suryanarayana Doolla
- Allegation
- Wakode’s parents alleged that Doolla harassed the student during the last three months
- Initial institute statement
- IIT Bombay said Wakode had resorted to malpractice in a mid-semester examination
- Subsequent response
- IIT Bombay apologised for its statement, calling it inappropriate
- Law at issue
- The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act
- Institutional response
- Faculty forums at IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and other IITs expressed solidarity with Doolla
Quotes
Sudheendra Kulkarni
Socio-political activist, former BJP leader and IIT Bombay alumnus
“None of these people commenting on the FIR and the naming of the professor in the case were present (during the suicide). On what basis can they say the law has been misused? They accepted the narrative of cheating by the student. Do they have any evidence about it? The parents are alleging harassment. Let it be investigated”
telegraphindia.com
“Dr Doolla is an acclaimed professor of Energy Sciences at IIT Bombay. An MTech and a PhD from IIT, he has received excellence in teaching award twice. He recently caught a student cheating. The student committed suicide. Dr Doolla has now been charged under the SC/ST Act”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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