IIT Bombay has removed Professor Suryanarayana Doolla from his position as Dean (Administrative Affairs) amid continuing student protests over the death of second-year BTech student Sahil Ravindra Wakode.
IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare communicated the decision to students in an official email on Monday, saying Doolla’s deanship had been removed with immediate effect. “Any further action will be taken after investigation,” Kedare said in the communication.
Meanwhile IIT-Bombay faculty members hold march in support of Suryanarayana Doolla; say he followed approved exam procedure.
Also read: IIT Bombay student's death: Faculty member booked as parents allege caste discrimination, harassment
The action follows an FIR against Doolla in connection with Wakode’s death. Police have invoked Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to abetment of suicide, along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, following a complaint by Wakode’s parents. The investigation has since been transferred to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch.
However, the action does not amount to Doolla being removed from IIT Bombay altogether. Reports on Monday said he continues as a professor and as head of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering.
What happened to Wakode?
Wakode, 22, was a second-year BTech student in IIT Bombay’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering. He was found dead in his hostel room on September 18, hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination.
IIT Bombay’s initial statement said Wakode had allegedly uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers. The institute also said no disciplinary action had been initiated against him and that the instructor and Head of Department had counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.
Students, however, challenged aspects of the institute’s account and alleged that Wakode had faced pressure and threats of academic suspension. His parents alleged that he had also been subjected to institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination. Those allegations remain part of the ongoing investigation and have not been established by police.
IIT Bombay now apologises over its earlier account
IIT Bombay on Monday apologised for its earlier communication about the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death.
The institute said details about what happened before his death remained under investigation and acknowledged that it was inappropriate to characterise those events before they had been established through the investigative process.
The clarification is important because the institute’s initial statement had publicly detailed the allegation that Wakode used ChatGPT during the examination.
The students had criticised the disclosure, arguing that it effectively publicised an allegation of academic misconduct against a student who could no longer respond to it. Their demands included an apology over what they described as the “defamation” of Wakode.
18-point charter goes beyond action against one professor
The student protests have also produced a much wider set of demands than action against Doolla.
After three days of demonstrations, IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare met protesting students in a late-night meeting on Sunday and signed an 18-point charter. The document seeks an independent investigation into Wakode’s death, with students asking for an interim report by September 30 and a final report by October 15.
The charter also seeks changes to how the institute handles student welfare and disciplinary matters.
Among the demands are a code of conduct for professors, greater student representation in academic and non-academic committees, changes to the Disciplinary Action Committee process, improved counselling services and mental-health sensitisation for faculty and staff.
Students have also proposed a task force comprising students, faculty members, mental-health professionals and external experts to examine student distress and recommend preventive measures. The charter includes a demand for improved medical and mental-health facilities, including a 24-hour psychiatrist-on-call service at the institute hospital.
Students have sought a written implementation plan by September 26.
Director resignation claim remains disputed
The protests also led to reports and videos claiming that Director Shireesh Kedare had agreed to resign.
IIT Bombay subsequently clarified that reports of his resignation were false. The institute said the director had not resigned.
The confusion followed Sunday night’s meeting, during which reports said Kedare had told protesters he would resign but would have to follow the required process. The institute's later clarification means his resignation should not be reported as an established fact.
The student charter itself seeks the resignation of the director and certain senior officials if specified reforms are not implemented within a month. That is a student demand, rather than an announced institutional decision.
Faculty backs Doolla as investigation continues
The development has also exposed a divide within the campus.
The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum has expressed support for Doolla, saying he was carrying out his responsibilities according to institute-approved academic procedures when he reported the examination incident involving Wakode.
According to the Times of India, the faculty members also staged a protest inside the institute’s main building on Monday following the suspension of Doolla’s deanship. At the same time, the Mumbai Crime Branch is examining the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death. Investigators are also looking at his mobile phone and other digital evidence as part of the probe.
Why this matters
The immediate dispute began with an examination incident, but the response has now expanded into questions about academic discipline, confidentiality, caste allegations, mental-health support, student representation and institutional accountability.
Wakode’s death was also the third reported suicide at the IIT Bombay campus in seven months, according to earlier reports. A second-year student died by suicide in February, while another second-year BTech student died in July.
For IIT Bombay, the next significant developments will be the Crime Branch investigation, the implementation of the 18-point charter and the deadlines sought by students for an independent inquiry.
The institute has said further action against Doolla will depend on the investigation. For now, his deanship has been removed, but the police case and the allegations surrounding Wakode’s death remain unresolved.
(With inputs from PTI | Times of India)
