IIT Bombay Student Death Row: Dean Removed, But Director’s Resignation Denied

IIT Bombay on Monday removed Professor Suryanarayana Doolla as Dean of Administrative Affairs with immediate effect amid protests over the death by suicide of 22-year-old BTech student Sahil Ravindra Wakode. However, Doolla has not been removed from IIT Bombay and continues as a professor and head of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering.

The action came after Wakode’s parents alleged that their son faced institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination before his death. Police registered an FIR against Doolla under provisions relating to abetment of suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The allegations have not been established and are being investigated. The Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the probe and is examining Wakode’s phone and other digital evidence.

Wakode, a second-year student, 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 had earlier said he allegedly uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers and that Doolla and the Head of Department counselled him and assured him that the incident would not affect his academic career.

The institute has now apologised for that earlier communication, saying it was inappropriate to characterise the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death while the matter remained under investigation.

The removal followed three days of student protests and an 18-point charter of demands signed by IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare. The demands include an independent investigation, stronger mental-health support, improved grievance mechanisms, greater student participation and accountability measures. Students had also sought action against Doolla.

However, the Faculty Forum has backed Doolla, saying he followed Senate-approved procedures while performing his examination duties. Faculty members held a march in his support and clarified that he remains a faculty member. Protesters, meanwhile, have said they wanted his suspension as a professor, rather than merely removal from an administrative position.

The controversy also deepened after IIT Bombay clarified that reports of Director Shireesh Kedare’s resignation are false. Kedare had told protesters he would resign, but the institute said no resignation has taken place.