IIT Bombay is witnessing heightened tensions following the death by suicide of second-year engineering student Sahil Wakode after a mid-semester examination in which he was allegedly caught cheating. Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was under scrutiny following the incident, has been officially removed from his deanship of administrative affairs. The move came three days after Sahil’s death, amid student protests and demands for action.

Students have submitted an 18-point charter of demands to IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare. The demands include action against Doolla and measures concerning student safety and institutional accountability. The director met protesting students and signed the charter.

Friends Reject Caste Claims

Sahil’s wingmate Aviral described him as a cheerful person who had been part of their group from the beginning. He said that after Sahil was allegedly caught cheating during the examination, he stopped speaking to people.

Aviral said he and his friends had never witnessed any caste-based discrimination against Sahil and cautioned against drawing conclusions from claims circulating outside the campus, which he said were based on speculation.

Sahil’s friend Atish Kumar said it was natural for a professor to reprimand a student caught cheating. He also said he had never witnessed caste-based remarks or discrimination against Sahil.

Atish said academic pressure at IIT Bombay can be significant and that he found it difficult to believe Sahil had taken such a step. He confirmed that Doolla had been removed from his deanship and said students had placed their demands before the director.

An open house is scheduled on campus, where students are expected to receive further information.

IIT Bombay Suspends Dean Amid Student Suicide Probe, Apologises For Earlier Statement

Former Student On Doolla

Former IIT Bombay student Sanjeev Savarkar described Doolla as a strict professor. He said that during Doolla’s earlier tenure as Dean of Student Affairs, several students were suspended over what he considered relatively minor issues.

Savarkar suggested that Doolla’s reputation may have influenced how Sahil perceived a warning or threat, although he stressed that he had never personally witnessed caste-based remarks or discrimination involving the professor.

Meanwhile, IIT Bombay’s Faculty Forum has publicly backed Doolla, saying he was performing his duties as an invigilator and followed the institute’s prescribed procedure after detecting alleged examination malpractice.

Doolla has also been named in an FIR following a complaint by Sahil’s family, and the circumstances surrounding the student’s death remain under investigation.

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