The exam that sparked a campus storm: How Sahil Wakode's death set off protests, caste allegations and a Crime Branch probe at IIT-Bombay
MUMBAI: The death of 20-year-old IIT-Bombay student Sahil Wakode has triggered a police investigation, protests on the Powai campus and a dispute over what happened in the hours before his death.
The case has since been transferred to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, while IIT-Bombay on Monday apologised for its earlier communication about the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death and suspended professor Suryanarayana Doolla from his deanship.
Here is what has happened so far:
Wakode found dead after examWakode, a second-year BTech student in the Energy Science and Engineering department, was found dead in his hostel room on Friday evening.
He had been caught using a mobile phone during an examination held between 2pm and 4pm.
IIT-Bombay said in an initial statement that he had allegedly uploaded the examination question paper on an AI platform to seek answers.
The institute said no disciplinary action had been initiated against him. It said the matter was discussed with him by the course instructor and head of the department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.
Students, however, later alleged that Wakode had been threatened with suspension.
Hostel residents alerted authorities after he did not respond. Police initially registered an accidental death report. No suicide note was found, according to police.
The death triggered protests on the campus on Friday night, with students demanding accountability and stronger mental-health support.
Parents allege caste harassment , FIR registeredWakode’s parents, Ravindra and Sonali, reached the IIT-Bombay campus on Saturday and alleged that their son had faced caste-based harassment and institutional torture.
Ravindra alleged that his son had told him about facing harassment from professor Suryanarayana Doolla for around three months after entering his second year.
The family, however, had not lodged a complaint with the institute at the time.
The parents demanded action against those they held responsible and sought a probe into their son’s death.
Students also continued their protests, while the mid-semester examination scheduled for Saturday was postponed.
Later on Saturday, Powai police registered an abetment of suicide case following the family’s complaint.
Doolla, a senior professor in the Energy Science department and the invigilator during the examination in which Wakode was caught with the phone, was named in the FIR along with other senior officials and officials concerned.
Police also invoked provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act following the family’s complaint alleging casteist remarks.
TOI reported that this was possibly the first instance of an IIT-Bombay professor being named as an accused in an abetment of suicide case involving a student.
Amid the allegations, IIT-Bombay maintained that no disciplinary action had been initiated against Wakode after he was found with the phone.
The institute said he was counselled by the instructor and department head and was assured that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.
Director Shireesh Kedare also denied caste-based discrimination at the institute, saying caste-related information of students was confidential and not available to faculty or administrators.
The institute’s SC/ST cell said it had not received any complaint from Wakode alleging caste discrimination.
There were therefore conflicting accounts of what happened after Wakode was caught with the phone: students and his family alleged that he was threatened with suspension, while the institute said no disciplinary action had been initiated.
Parents refuse to take body; probe shifted to Crime BranchWakode’s parents refused to claim his body from the post-mortem centre at Rajawadi Hospital for more than seven hours.
His father said he would not conduct the final rites until the accused were arrested.
As the standoff continued, senior police officers reached the hospital and assured the family that action would be taken on their complaint.
The body was finally claimed around 9pm after the case was transferred to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch. An ACP-rank officer was assigned to investigate the case.
Wakode’s family then took his body to his native Yavatmal after the post-mortem, and his final rites were performed there on Sunday.
IIT-Bombay said it would cooperate with the investigation and appealed to people to refrain from speculation while the probe was under way.
Protests intensifyMeanwhile, protests continued at IIT-Bombay’s Powai campus.
Students attempted to move towards Adi Shankaracharya Marg, prompting police to barricade campus exit gates.
The number of protesters rose to around 6,000 within a few hours, while about 150 police personnel from several police stations were deployed on the campus.
Police said the Crime Branch had taken over the investigation and that investigators would examine CCTV footage and Wakode’s seized phone. No arrest had been made by Sunday, according to TOI.
Faculty Forum backs DoollaAs the protests continued, IIT-Bombay’s Faculty Forum issued a statement backing Doolla.
The forum expressed solidarity with the professor and said he had been performing his duties in accordance with the institute’s Senate-approved academic policies.
The forum also described Wakode’s unauthorised possession and use of a smartphone during the examination as academic malpractice and said Doolla had reported the matter according to the prescribed procedure.
Director signs 18-point student charterOn Sunday night, IIT-Bombay director Shireesh Kedare held a nearly three-hour meeting with protesting students at the institute’s main gate.
The administration discussed an 18-point charter submitted by the students and signed it. An institute official, however, said discussions would continue and due process would be followed.
The demands included immediate suspension of Doolla, an independent investigation into Wakode’s death, action against anyone found responsible, an apology over the institute’s earlier communication about Wakode, greater student representation and a mechanism for complaints against professors.
Students also sought changes in the handling of academic malpractice cases, stronger counselling facilities, at least one counsellor for every 250 students, a 24/7 psychiatrist at the IIT-Bombay Hospital, better emergency medical services and mental-health sensitisation for faculty and staff.
They also demanded a student concerns portal, a student-wellbeing task force and an assurance that students participating in the protests would not face disciplinary, hostel, financial or legal action.
One of the demands said the director, dean academic programmes and dean student affairs should resign if specified demands were not implemented within a month.
IIT-Bombay apologises over earlier communicationOn Monday, IIT-Bombay apologised for statements made in its earlier communication about the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death.
The institute said the details and circumstances leading to the incident remained subject to investigation and acknowledged that it was inappropriate to characterise the events preceding Wakode’s death before they had been established through the investigative process.
The apology came after students accused the institute of “defaming” Wakode by publicly mentioning details about his alleged use of an AI platform before a proper inquiry.
Professor Doolla suspended from deanshipThe major development came on Monday when IIT-Bombay suspended professor Suryanarayana Doolla from his administrative post with immediate effect.
Doolla, who had been serving as dean of administrative affairs, will continue as a professor and as head of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering.
The institute said any further action against him would be taken following the investigation.
IIT-Bombay also clarified that reports claiming director Shireesh Kedare had resigned were false.
A third student suicide on campus this yearWakode’s death was the third reported suicide at IIT-Bombay’s Powai campus this year.
A second-year student died by suicide in February, while another 20-year-old second-year BTech student died by suicide in July.
Following the July death, IIT-Bombay had discussed replacing ceiling fans in hostels with wall-mounted fans as a safety measure.
TOI subsequently reported that the first batch of wall-mounted fans had arrived, but installation had not yet begun.
The protests may have put the questions on the table. The Crime Branch probe will now have to establish the answers through evidence.
The case has since been transferred to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, while IIT-Bombay on Monday apologised for its earlier communication about the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death and suspended professor Suryanarayana Doolla from his deanship.
Here is what has happened so far:
Wakode found dead after examWakode, a second-year BTech student in the Energy Science and Engineering department, was found dead in his hostel room on Friday evening.
He had been caught using a mobile phone during an examination held between 2pm and 4pm.
IIT-Bombay said in an initial statement that he had allegedly uploaded the examination question paper on an AI platform to seek answers.
The institute said no disciplinary action had been initiated against him. It said the matter was discussed with him by the course instructor and head of the department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.
Students, however, later alleged that Wakode had been threatened with suspension.
Hostel residents alerted authorities after he did not respond. Police initially registered an accidental death report. No suicide note was found, according to police.
The death triggered protests on the campus on Friday night, with students demanding accountability and stronger mental-health support.
Parents allege caste harassment , FIR registeredWakode’s parents, Ravindra and Sonali, reached the IIT-Bombay campus on Saturday and alleged that their son had faced caste-based harassment and institutional torture.
Ravindra alleged that his son had told him about facing harassment from professor Suryanarayana Doolla for around three months after entering his second year.
The family, however, had not lodged a complaint with the institute at the time.
The parents demanded action against those they held responsible and sought a probe into their son’s death.
Students also continued their protests, while the mid-semester examination scheduled for Saturday was postponed.
Later on Saturday, Powai police registered an abetment of suicide case following the family’s complaint.
Doolla, a senior professor in the Energy Science department and the invigilator during the examination in which Wakode was caught with the phone, was named in the FIR along with other senior officials and officials concerned.
Police also invoked provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act following the family’s complaint alleging casteist remarks.
TOI reported that this was possibly the first instance of an IIT-Bombay professor being named as an accused in an abetment of suicide case involving a student.
Amid the allegations, IIT-Bombay maintained that no disciplinary action had been initiated against Wakode after he was found with the phone.
The institute said he was counselled by the instructor and department head and was assured that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.
Director Shireesh Kedare also denied caste-based discrimination at the institute, saying caste-related information of students was confidential and not available to faculty or administrators.
The institute’s SC/ST cell said it had not received any complaint from Wakode alleging caste discrimination.
There were therefore conflicting accounts of what happened after Wakode was caught with the phone: students and his family alleged that he was threatened with suspension, while the institute said no disciplinary action had been initiated.
Parents refuse to take body; probe shifted to Crime BranchWakode’s parents refused to claim his body from the post-mortem centre at Rajawadi Hospital for more than seven hours.
His father said he would not conduct the final rites until the accused were arrested.
As the standoff continued, senior police officers reached the hospital and assured the family that action would be taken on their complaint.
The body was finally claimed around 9pm after the case was transferred to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch. An ACP-rank officer was assigned to investigate the case.
Wakode’s family then took his body to his native Yavatmal after the post-mortem, and his final rites were performed there on Sunday.
IIT-Bombay said it would cooperate with the investigation and appealed to people to refrain from speculation while the probe was under way.
Protests intensifyMeanwhile, protests continued at IIT-Bombay’s Powai campus.
Students attempted to move towards Adi Shankaracharya Marg, prompting police to barricade campus exit gates.
The number of protesters rose to around 6,000 within a few hours, while about 150 police personnel from several police stations were deployed on the campus.
Police said the Crime Branch had taken over the investigation and that investigators would examine CCTV footage and Wakode’s seized phone. No arrest had been made by Sunday, according to TOI.
Faculty Forum backs DoollaAs the protests continued, IIT-Bombay’s Faculty Forum issued a statement backing Doolla.
The forum expressed solidarity with the professor and said he had been performing his duties in accordance with the institute’s Senate-approved academic policies.
The forum also described Wakode’s unauthorised possession and use of a smartphone during the examination as academic malpractice and said Doolla had reported the matter according to the prescribed procedure.
Director signs 18-point student charterOn Sunday night, IIT-Bombay director Shireesh Kedare held a nearly three-hour meeting with protesting students at the institute’s main gate.
The administration discussed an 18-point charter submitted by the students and signed it. An institute official, however, said discussions would continue and due process would be followed.
The demands included immediate suspension of Doolla, an independent investigation into Wakode’s death, action against anyone found responsible, an apology over the institute’s earlier communication about Wakode, greater student representation and a mechanism for complaints against professors.
Students also sought changes in the handling of academic malpractice cases, stronger counselling facilities, at least one counsellor for every 250 students, a 24/7 psychiatrist at the IIT-Bombay Hospital, better emergency medical services and mental-health sensitisation for faculty and staff.
They also demanded a student concerns portal, a student-wellbeing task force and an assurance that students participating in the protests would not face disciplinary, hostel, financial or legal action.
One of the demands said the director, dean academic programmes and dean student affairs should resign if specified demands were not implemented within a month.
IIT-Bombay apologises over earlier communicationOn Monday, IIT-Bombay apologised for statements made in its earlier communication about the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death.
The institute said the details and circumstances leading to the incident remained subject to investigation and acknowledged that it was inappropriate to characterise the events preceding Wakode’s death before they had been established through the investigative process.
The apology came after students accused the institute of “defaming” Wakode by publicly mentioning details about his alleged use of an AI platform before a proper inquiry.
Professor Doolla suspended from deanshipThe major development came on Monday when IIT-Bombay suspended professor Suryanarayana Doolla from his administrative post with immediate effect.
Doolla, who had been serving as dean of administrative affairs, will continue as a professor and as head of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering.
The institute said any further action against him would be taken following the investigation.
IIT-Bombay also clarified that reports claiming director Shireesh Kedare had resigned were false.
A third student suicide on campus this yearWakode’s death was the third reported suicide at IIT-Bombay’s Powai campus this year.
A second-year student died by suicide in February, while another 20-year-old second-year BTech student died by suicide in July.
Following the July death, IIT-Bombay had discussed replacing ceiling fans in hostels with wall-mounted fans as a safety measure.
TOI subsequently reported that the first batch of wall-mounted fans had arrived, but installation had not yet begun.
The protests may have put the questions on the table. The Crime Branch probe will now have to establish the answers through evidence.
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