IIT-Bombay student representatives say protest not a defence of misconduct; parents allege caste harassment

The parents of Sahil Wakode, a second-year student at the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, who ended his life on Friday (September 18, 2026), have alleged that he faced caste-based harassment on campus and that the institution “finished” their son.

Ravindra Wakode, his father, said the family had been able to reach till this position after a lot of struggle and demanded justice for his son. Mumbai Police registered a First Information Report on his complaint, naming Professor Suryanarayana Doolla under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which relates to abetment of suicide, and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Students say protest is not in defence of alleged misconduct

Student representatives, in a statement issued on September 21, said their protest following Wakode’s death was not intended to justify academic misconduct. They said they did not condone cheating or any form of academic misconduct. They said the death had instead led students to examine systems and processes within the institute.

The statement followed three days of protest on the campus and came hours after the institute removed Professor Doolla from the post of Dean of Administrative Affairs. The institute said Professor Doolla would continue as a professor while the investigation proceeded.

In an earlier statement, IIT-Bombay had alleged that Wakode used ChatGPT in an examination on September 18. The institute said no disciplinary action had been initiated against him and that he received counselling. It said the Head of the Department discussed the matter with him and assured him the incident would not affect his academic career. Wakode was found dead in his hostel room later that day.

The student representatives said their position on Professor Doolla had never rested on an assumption of his guilt. They said their demand was that he be relieved of his administrative responsibilities during the investigation, which they described as a measure to keep the inquiry independent. The students had submitted an 18-point charter to Director Shireesh Kedare. The charter included demands on institutional accountability, student representation, mental-health and medical support, and a mechanism to examine student distress. According to the statement, the Director acknowledged and signed the demands and agreed to work towards implementation within timelines.

More than 400 students gathered near the main building after word of the death spread and raised slogans against the administration. Members of the Congress’ youth wing also joined the protest. The students demanded that Professor Doolla be suspended from his professorship. The institute removed him from the deanship with immediate effect and apologised for aspects of its earlier communication about the death, saying details remained under investigation.

The students criticised the administration for disclosing details from the disciplinary committee hearing. One student said accusations against a student unable to defend himself amounted to defamation. The institute, in its apology on X, said the circumstances leading to the incident remained subject to investigation and that it was inappropriate to set out details relating to events preceding the death before they had been established through the investigative process.

Faculty forum backs Doolla

The Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay issued a statement on September 21 saying it was distressed by what it called the vilification of its colleague’s reputation through reports in the media. The forum backed Professor Doolla.

The institute said no complaint regarding caste discrimination had been submitted by Wakode to its SC-ST cell or the administration. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death continues.

(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416. and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050).