IIT Bombay suspends dean as Crime Branch takes over student death probe

Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the investigation into the death of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode as the institute suspended a senior professor from his deanship and apologised for its earlier account of the circumstances preceding the 22-year-old’s death.

The developments on Monday marked a significant escalation in the case, with police now examining Wakode’s mobile phone for possible digital evidence and protesters gathering outside the institute demanding action against senior officials.

Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who has been named in a police case following a complaint by Wakode’s father, has been suspended from his position as Dean of Administrative Affairs with immediate effect. IIT Bombay Director Shireesh B. Kedare said further action would depend on the outcome of the investigation.

The institute also rejected reports circulating on social media that Kedare had resigned.

“Director IIT-Bombay has NOT resigned. We categorically state that the related news is false,” IIT Bombay said in a post on X.

Crime Branch examines phone

The Crime Branch is conducting a technical examination of Wakode’s phone to determine whether it contains a suicide note or other evidence that could shed light on the circumstances leading to his death. No suicide note was found in his hostel room, according to police.

Investigators are also examining the scene at Hostel No. 4 on the Powai campus and are expected to summon people named in the First Information Report for questioning, including Doolla.

The case was registered following a complaint by Wakode’s father, who alleged that his son had faced caste-based and mental harassment in the months before his death.

The complaint contains allegations that the professor had subjected Wakode to casteist slurs over the previous three months. These allegations have not been established and are now part of the police investigation.

The case has been registered under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to alleged abetment of suicide, as well as provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. An officer of Assistant Commissioner of Police rank is leading the investigation.

IIT Bombay apologises

In another significant development, IIT Bombay withdrew its earlier characterisation of the events preceding Wakode’s death and acknowledged that it had been inappropriate to make assertions before the investigation was completed.

“We apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil,” the institute said.

“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 added.

The institute had earlier said Wakode had been found using a mobile phone during an examination and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT seeking answers. It had also said no disciplinary action had been initiated and that he had been counselled and assured the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.

Protests intensify

The controversy spilled outside the campus on Monday when Mumbai Police detained members of a student organisation and students who had gathered outside IIT Bombay for a protest.

The demonstrators demanded Kedare’s resignation and Doolla’s arrest.

The protests follow a meeting between the IIT Bombay administration and students on Sunday night over a list of 18 demands. Among them are student representation on academic committees, an independent investigation into four deaths by suicide on campus and mental health workshops for professors.

Faculty Forum backs professor

The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum, meanwhile, has come out in support of Doolla, saying he had followed the institute’s established academic procedures.

According to the forum, Doolla was the course instructor and invigilator during the mid-semester examination when he allegedly saw Wakode using a smartphone without authorisation. It said the professor reported the matter to institute authorities in accordance with established procedure.

“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,” the forum said.

It also expressed concern over what it described as damage to the professor’s reputation while extending condolences to Wakode’s family.

- with inputs from IANS, ANI