Archive · 21 Sep 2026
IIT Bombay Student’s Death Fuels Caste and Campus Politics Debate
Sahil Wakode was a student at IIT Bombay who died after an exam in September 2026.
The institute said he had used a phone and ChatGPT to help answer questions during the exam.
His parents said he had also been facing caste discrimination at the college.
IIT Bombay denied that caste discrimination caused his death and said teachers had counselled him.
The police registered a case so they could investigate the family’s allegations.
Some faculty members and students supported Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, while others said the professor and institute should face action.
Professor Suryakant Waghmore objected to a faculty statement supporting Doolla.
The articles also argue about whether campus groups are using the case for wider political and ideological purposes.
The police investigation has not established which factors led to Wakode’s death.
Sahil Wakode, a 20-year-old second-year B.Tech student, was found dead in IIT Bombay’s Hostel 4 on September 18, 2026, hours after an exam incident.
IIT Bombay said Professor Suryanarayana Doolla caught Wakode using a phone and ChatGPT to obtain answers, and that no disciplinary proceedings had begun against him.
Wakode’s parents alleged that he had faced caste discrimination and harassment, while the institute and its SC/ST cell said no prior complaint had been filed.
Police booked Doolla and others under the SC/ST Act and BNS Section 108 for alleged caste atrocities and abetment of suicide; the allegations remain under investigation.
Faculty members, students, alumni and political commentators have disagreed over support for Doolla, the role of caste discrimination claims and allegations of ideological activism at IIT Bombay.
- Who
- Sahil Wakode; his parents; Professor Suryanarayana Doolla; IIT Bombay officials including Director Shireesh B. Kedare; Professor Suryakant Waghmore; faculty, students, alumni and police investigators.
- What
- Wakode’s death after an examination-related incident prompted competing allegations of caste discrimination, institutional responsibility and ideological exploitation of the case.
- When
- September 18, 2026; the Faculty Forum statement was reported as issued on either September 20 or September 21, depending on the article.
- Where
- IIT Bombay in Mumbai, including Hostel 4.
- Why
- Wakode’s parents attributed his distress partly to alleged caste discrimination, while IIT Bombay linked the immediate incident to alleged examination malpractice and denied caste bias as the cause.
Caste Discrimination and Institutional Accountability
Investigation Before Attribution
Cause of Wakode’s death
Caste Discrimination and Institutional Accountability
Wakode’s parents, protesting students and some faculty voices allege that caste discrimination, harassment or institutional insensitivity contributed to his death.
Investigation Before Attribution
IIT Bombay denies caste bias and says the known immediate event was an examination incident followed by counselling; a close friend quoted in the articles said he had not observed caste-based discrimination.
Treatment of Professor Doolla
Caste Discrimination and Institutional Accountability
Protesting groups and Suryakant Waghmore’s position call for accountability and object to faculty support for Doolla while allegations are being investigated.
Investigation Before Attribution
The Faculty Forum, some students and alumni say Doolla was performing his invigilation duties under institute rules and that removing his deanship or publicly condemning him before an investigation amounts to punishment.
Interpretation of the wider controversy
Caste Discrimination and Institutional Accountability
The articles’ critics argue that the case reflects possible caste inequality at elite institutions and that faculty and student activism is necessary to challenge it.
Investigation Before Attribution
The articles’ authors argue that political groups, left-leaning academics and media are turning an unproven allegation into a broader anti-institute or anti-Hindutva narrative, including claims of a leftist takeover of technical institutions.
- Student
- Sahil Wakode, a 20-year-old second-year B.Tech student from a Scheduled Caste family.
- Date and location
- Wakode was found dead in Hostel 4 at IIT Bombay on September 18, 2026.
- Exam incident
- The administration said Wakode used a mobile phone and uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to obtain answers.
- Family allegation
- His parents alleged that Professor Suryanarayana Doolla had subjected Wakode to caste discrimination and harassment for about three months, allegedly at the director’s instruction.
- Institute response
- IIT Bombay said no disciplinary proceeding had begun and that the instructor, faculty adviser and department head counselled Wakode.
- Police case
- Doolla and others were booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and BNS Section 108, according to the articles.
- Faculty dispute
- The Faculty Forum supported Doolla, while Suryakant Waghmore questioned the forum’s legal standing and accused it of taking sides.
