2 hrs ago
IIT Bombay Suspends Dean as Crime Branch Probes Student Death
Sahil Wakode was a student at IIT Bombay who died by suicide on September 18.
His father said Sahil had faced caste-based and mental harassment.
Police are investigating these allegations, and they have not yet been proven.
The Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the case.
IIT Bombay suspended Professor Suryanarayana Doolla from his administrative position.
The institute also apologised for describing events before investigators had established the facts.
Earlier, the institute said Sahil had used a phone during an exam, but that account is now also being investigated.
Doolla’s faculty colleagues said he was following the institute’s examination procedures.
Students are asking the institute for changes, including independent investigations and better mental-health support.
IIT Bombay suspended Professor Suryanarayana Doolla as Dean of Administrative Affairs and apologised for its earlier account of Sahil Wakode’s death.
The Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating after Wakode’s father filed a complaint alleging caste-based and mental harassment.
Wakode, an Energy Science and Engineering student, died by suicide on September 18 at the Powai campus.
An FIR invokes Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum defended Doolla, while protesting students submitted 18 demands, including independent inquiries and stronger mental-health measures.
- Who
- Sahil Wakode, his father, Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, IIT Bombay, Mumbai Police and the Mumbai Crime Branch are involved.
- What
- The Crime Branch is investigating Wakode’s death and allegations of caste-based and mental harassment; IIT Bombay suspended Doolla from his deanship and apologised for its earlier statement.
- Where
- The death occurred at Hostel No. 4 on IIT Bombay’s Powai campus in Mumbai.
- When
- Wakode died on September 18; IIT Bombay issued its initial statement on September 19 and later announced the suspension and apology.
- Why
- The investigation followed a complaint by Wakode’s father alleging harassment and seeking examination of the circumstances preceding the death.
Allegations and Institutional Accountability
Procedural Defense of the Professor
Harassment allegations
Allegations and Institutional Accountability
Wakode’s father alleges that his son faced caste-based slurs and mental harassment over the preceding three months; the allegations are part of the police complaint and remain unproven.
Procedural Defense of the Professor
The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum says Doolla was performing his academic duties under institute-approved procedures and expressed solidarity with him.
Earlier account of the examination incident
Allegations and Institutional Accountability
IIT Bombay said its earlier description of the circumstances before Wakode’s death was inappropriate because those details had not been established through investigation.
Procedural Defense of the Professor
The Faculty Forum said Doolla noticed a student using a smartphone during an examination and reported it to institute authorities according to established procedure.
Campus response
Allegations and Institutional Accountability
Protesting students are seeking an independent investigation into four campus suicides, student representation on academic committees and mental-health workshops for professors.
Procedural Defense of the Professor
IIT Bombay has transferred the case to investigating authorities, suspended Doolla from his deanship and rejected reports that Director Professor Shireesh B Kedare resigned.
Key facts
- Student
- Sahil Wakode, a student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering
- Date of death
- September 18
- Institute action
- Professor Suryanarayana Doolla was suspended as Dean of Administrative Affairs with immediate effect
- Investigating agency
- Mumbai Crime Branch, led by an ACP-rank officer
- Police case
- The FIR cites Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act
- Evidence being examined
- Police are examining Wakode’s mobile phone and the crime scene; no suicide note was found in his hostel room
- Student demands
- Protesting students submitted 18 demands, including student representation, independent investigations and mental-health workshops for professors
Quotes
IIT Bombay Faculty Forum
Faculty representative body at IIT Bombay
“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”
thestatesman.com
“We apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil”
thestatesman.com
Sources
Related news
IIT Bombay Student Death Prompts FIR, Crime Branch Probe
IIT Bombay Faces Protest After Student’s Death by Suicide
IIT Bombay Crime Branch to Question Professor After Student Death
IIT Bombay Student Death Leads to FIR, Crime Branch Probe
Mumbai Crime Branch Takes Over IIT Bombay Student Death Probe
IIT Bombay Apologises, Suspends Dean Amid Student Death Probe
Mumbai Activists Allege Police Detention Over Pro-Palestine Event
IIT Bombay Professor Named in FIR After Student’s Death
IIT Bombay Student Sahil Wakode’s Final Rites Held
