IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode’s death: What we know so far

The death by suicide of 22-year-old IIT Bombay student Sahil Ravindra Wakode has triggered protests on campus, allegations of caste discrimination, and a police investigation. The institute has suspended Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Suryanarayana Doolla, while agreeing to 18 demands put forward by the protesters.

The institute has denied reports that Director Shirish Kedare has resigned, and Doolla’s suspension from the deanship came after Kedare signed an 18-point charter of demands submitted by protesting students on the evening of September 20. However, the Faculty Forum is now planning a campus march by all 750 faculty members to express their solidarity with Prof. Doolla.

Wakode, a second-year BTech student from Maharashtra’s Yavatmal, was found dead in his hostel room on September 18. His death came hours after he was allegedly caught using a smartphone and ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.

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What happened before his death has since become the centre of a sharply contested account. While the institute has maintained that the examination incident was handled according to its rules, Wakode’s family and protesting students have accused the campus authorities of harassment and caste-based discrimination.

Institute apologises, denies resignation

Meanwhile, in another sign that a resolution may be in sight, the institute has now apologised for what it called “statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil.”

“The details and circumstances leading up to the incident remain subject to investigation by the appropriate authorities. In view of the ongoing investigation, it was inappropriate to have set out or characterised details relating to the events preceding his demise before they had been duly established through the appropriate investigative process,” it said.

It also denied reports that IIT Bombay Director Shirish Kedare would resign. “Director IIT Bombay has NOT resigned. We categorically state that the related news is false,” the institute said in a post on X.

Before this, on Sunday night, Kedare had told protesting students that he would step down. “I will resign; however, I have to follow the process and will convey my decision after a meeting on Monday,” he had said after which he signed a sheet containing 18 demands of the protesters.

Faculty forum backs professor

The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum has rallied behind exam invigilator Suryanarayana Doolla, saying he acted in accordance with institutional procedure after finding Wakode in “unauthorised possession and use of a smartphone”.

Among the protesters' demands are student representation on academic committees, an independent inquiry into four deaths by suicide on campus and mental health workshops for professors.

The meeting between the administration and the protesters, however, did not end the protests. Students said they would assemble at the IIT Bombay main gate on Monday under the banner of ‘India Against Casteism’. They also raised concerns about earlier student deaths by suicide that they allege were linked to caste discrimination. “We are not here to die,” they said, referring to their main slogan.

The Faculty Forum has maintained that the examination incident was dealt with under the institute’s prescribed procedure, with the professor reporting it to the relevant authorities. The forum said Doolla had simply carried out his academic duties and followed the established process. It also voiced concern over statements directed at the professor, saying they had affected him deeply. It has now planned a campus march to express solidarity with Prof. Doolla.

Crime Branch takes over probe

Wakode’s parents have filed a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, alleging discrimination.

The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is now investigating the case and is expected to question people named in the FIR. Wakode’s phone has been seized and the crime scene examined. No suicide note has been found so far.

Mumbai Police transferred the case to the Crime Branch after registering an FIR naming IIT Bombay professor and examination invigilator Suryanarayana Doolla.

The student’s father had alleged that Doolla had harassed Wakode and used casteist slurs against him over the previous three months.

Who is Prof Doolla?

Prof Doolla is an educator in IIT Bombay’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering and has been associated with the institute for more than a decade.

His areas of academic specialisation include power systems, smart grids, microgrids, renewable-energy integration, converter control and energy efficiency. His IIT Bombay profile lists several research publications in these fields.

Doolla earned his BTech in Electrical Engineering from Nagarjuna University in 2000, followed by an MTech in Energy Systems Engineering from IIT Bombay in 2002 and a PhD in Power Systems from IIT Delhi in 2007. Before joining IIT Bombay, he worked with Power Research and Development Consultants in Bengaluru and Machine 2 Machine in Hyderabad.

Also read | IIT Bombay student death: Crime Branch may question professor named in FIR

Doolla came under scrutiny following the death of Wakode on September 18. According to IIT Bombay, Wakode was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination and had uploaded the question paper to an AI platform to seek answers.

Doolla was the course instructor and examination invigilator for the test and reported the alleged examination malpractice to the institute’s authorities. IIT Bombay has said Wakode was later counselled by Doolla and the Head of Department and assured that the examination incident would not affect his academic career. The institute has maintained that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him before his death.