Archive · 23 Sep 2026
IIT Bombay Suicide Case Intensifies Debate Over SC/ST Act
Sahil Wakode was a second-year student at IIT Bombay who died in an alleged suicide.
His parents filed a police report naming Professor Suryanarayana Doolla.
They said Doolla had harassed Sahil and used caste-based abuse against him.
IIT Bombay first said Sahil had used ChatGPT or other unfair means during an exam.
The institute later apologised for that statement and called it inappropriate.
Some people supporting Doolla say he should be treated as innocent unless proven guilty.
They also want officials to check whether the SC/ST Act should be used in this case.
Other people say the parents’ claims must be investigated before anyone calls the case an abuse of the law.
The controversy has also prompted discussion about student suicides and problems at higher-education institutions.
Professor Suryanarayana Doolla was named in an FIR over the alleged suicide of 22-year-old IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode.
Wakode’s parents accused Doolla of casteist abuse and harassment over the previous three months.
IIT Bombay initially said Wakode had used unfair means, reportedly ChatGPT, in a mid-semester examination, then apologised for calling its statement inappropriate.
Supporters including Sudheendra Kulkarni and Tehseen Poonawalla called for an inquiry into whether the SC/ST Act applies and warned against its alleged misuse.
Critics said the parents’ allegations should be investigated before anyone concludes that the law was misused, while faculty groups expressed solidarity with Doolla.
- Who
- IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, Wakode’s parents, and supporters and critics of the FIR.
- What
- An FIR naming Doolla in an alleged student-suicide case has triggered a debate over the alleged misuse and applicability of the SC/ST Act.
- When
- The relevant statements and developments were reported from Saturday through Wednesday; the parents alleged harassment over the preceding three months.
- Where
- IIT Bombay, with public reactions from people and institutions elsewhere in India.
- Why
- The debate followed the parents’ allegations against Doolla, the institute’s initial account of exam malpractice, and calls for an inquiry before conclusions are drawn about the law’s use.
Supporters of Professor Doolla
Supporters of Investigation
Whether the SC/ST Act is being misused
Supporters of Professor Doolla
Sudheendra Kulkarni, Tehseen Poonawalla, and other supporters said Doolla should be presumed innocent and called for an inquiry into whether the SC/ST Act applies. Kulkarni described automatic blame of upper-caste people as reverse casteism.
Supporters of Investigation
Sunil Rajak called the misuse campaign prejudiced and unsubstantiated, arguing that people who were not present should not decide that the law was misused.
How to assess the exam allegation
Supporters of Professor Doolla
Supporters highlighted IIT Bombay’s initial account that Wakode had been caught using unfair means, reportedly ChatGPT, and linked that account to Doolla’s actions as course invigilator.
Supporters of Investigation
Critics questioned whether there was evidence for the cheating narrative and said the parents’ separate allegations of harassment should first be investigated.
Broader institutional concerns
Supporters of Professor Doolla
Supporters focused on protecting faculty members from what they described as unfair prosecution under stringent legal provisions.
Supporters of Investigation
Pranab Jeevan said attention should also be given to systemic problems, noting that more than 100 students at various IITs had died by suicide over the previous 10 years.
- Student
- Sahil Wakode, a 22-year-old second-year B.Tech student at IIT Bombay
- Professor named in FIR
- Suryanarayana Doolla, an IIT Bombay professor
- Parents’ allegations
- They accused Doolla of casteist abuse and harassment during the previous three months
- Exam account
- IIT Bombay initially said Wakode had resorted to malpractice in a mid-semester examination; one report said he was allegedly caught using ChatGPT
- Institute response
- IIT Bombay later apologised for its statement and described it as inappropriate
- Law under debate
- The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act
- Public response
- Faculty forums at IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and other IITs expressed solidarity with Doolla
